Green dentistry: the art and science of sustainable practice.

PubMed

Mulimani, P

2017-06-23

Dentistry is highly energy and resource intensive with significant environmental impact. Factors inherent in the profession such as enormous electricity demands of electronic dental equipment, voluminous water requirements, environmental effects of biomaterials (before, during and after clinical use), the use of radiation and the generation of hazardous waste involving mercury, lead etc have contributed towards this. With rising temperatures across the world due to global warming, efforts are being made worldwide to mitigate the effects of environmental damage by resorting to sustainability concepts and green solutions in a myriad of ways. In such a scenario, a professional obligation and social responsibility of dentists makes it imperative to transform the practice of dentistry from a hazardous to a sustainable one, by adopting environmental-friendly measures or 'green dentistry'. The NHS in the UK has been proactive in implementing sustainability in healthcare by setting targets, developing guidance papers, initiating steering groups to develop measures and implementing actions through its Sustainable Development Unit (SDU). Such sustainable frameworks, specific to dentistry, are not yet available and even the scientific literature is devoid of studies in this field although anecdotal narratives abound. Hence this paper attempts to present a comprehensive evaluation of the existing healthcare sustainability principles, for their parallel application in the field of dentistry and lays out a blueprint for integrating the two main underlying principles of sustainability - resource use efficiency and eliminating or minimising pollution - in the day-to-day practice. The article also highlights the importance of social values, community care, engaging stakeholders, economic benefits, developing policy and providing leadership in converting the concept of green dentistry into a practised reality.

Market factors and electronic medical record adoption in medical practices.

PubMed

Menachemi, Nir; Mazurenko, Olena; Kazley, Abby Swanson; Diana, Mark L; Ford, Eric W

2012-01-01

Previous studies identified individual or practice factors that influence practice-based physicians' electronic medical record (EMR) adoption. Less is known about the market factors that influence physicians' EMR adoption. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between environmental market characteristics and physicians' EMR adoption. The Health Tracking Physician Survey 2008 and Area Resource File (2008) were combined and analyzed. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between three dimensions of the market environment (munificence, dynamism, and complexity) and EMR adoption controlling for several physician and practice characteristics. In a nationally representative sample of 4,720 physicians, measures of market dynamism including increases in unemployment, odds ratio (OR) = 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.91, 0.99], or poverty rates, OR = 0.93, 95% CI [0.89, 0.96], were negatively associated with EMR adoption. Health maintenance organization penetration, OR = 3.01, 95% CI [1.49, 6.05], another measure of dynamism, was positively associated with EMR adoption. Physicians practicing in areas with a malpractice crisis, OR = 0.82, 95% CI [0.71, 0.94], representing environmental complexity, had lower EMR adoption rates. Understanding how market factors relate to practice-based physicians' EMR adoption can assist policymakers to better target limited resources as they work to realize the national goal of universal EMR adoption and meaningful use.

Evaluating How to Alter Design Processes to Consider Sustainable Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liew, V.

2017-12-01

The Design Cycle is a well established design methodology featuring four major criterion (Investigating, Planning, Creating, and Evaluating), adopted by International Baccalaureate education foundation. However, as sustainability has become an alarmingly relevant issue, the Design Cycle is not a sufficient guide in its current form. With the the excessive quantities of waste entering Hong Kong's landfills as well as the worldwide issue of rapidly depleting resources, it is imperative that products reduce waste via adaptive or mitigative methods, and that an environmental sector be integrated into the existing Design Cycle. In this piece of research, sustainable design practices will be evaluated to form a list of specifications that products can be assessed against to reduce waste and repurpose materials.

Practices and perceptions on water resource sustainability in ecovillages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Moura Leite, Flavia Brunale Vilela; Bertolo, Lídia Sanches; Santos, Rozely Ferreira

2016-08-01

In many areas of the world, groups of people have attempted to create urban landscapes that follow the principles of environmental sustainability. To this end, groups have devised alternative models, such as ecovillages, where low-impact handling is used and a way of life different from that of large population centers is adopted. Although these villages exist, their efficiency in the conservation of natural resources has not been effectively evaluated. This study evaluated the practices used by two Brazilian ecovillages to conserve water resources to assess whether this new concept of living is indeed successful in meeting sustainability goals. We selected 25 indicators of water sustainability, and using the compromise programming method, we quantified the distance between those landscapes self-referenced as sustainable and an ideal hypothetical scenario. We also interpreted the communities perceptions using the distance between the current situations and the envisioned scenario. We concluded that both ecovillage are far from technically ideal scenario, but the communities have a strong sense of their limitations in implementing water resources conservation. The communities attributed this fact primarily to deficiencies in the shared management.

Increasing psychotherapists' adoption and implementation of the evidence-based practice of progress monitoring.

PubMed

Persons, Jacqueline B; Koerner, Kelly; Eidelman, Polina; Thomas, Cannon; Liu, Howard

2016-01-01

Evidence-based practices (EBPs) reach consumers slowly because practitioners are slow to adopt and implement them. We hypothesized that giving psychotherapists a tool + training intervention that was designed to help the therapist integrate the EBP of progress monitoring into his or her usual way of working would be associated with adoption and sustained implementation of the particular progress monitoring tool we trained them to use (the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales on our Online Progress Tracking tool) and would generalize to all types of progress monitoring measures. To test these hypotheses, we developed an online progress monitoring tool and a course that trained psychotherapists to use it, and we assessed progress monitoring behavior in 26 psychotherapists before, during, immediately after, and 12 months after they received the tool and training. Immediately after receiving the tool + training intervention, participants showed statistically significant increases in use of the online tool and of all types of progress monitoring measures. Twelve months later, participants showed sustained use of any type of progress monitoring measure but not the online tool. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

When does adoption of health information technology by physician practices lead to use by physicians within the practice?

PubMed Central

McClellan, Sean R; Casalino, Lawrence P; Shortell, Stephen M; Rittenhouse, Diane R

2013-01-01

Objective We sought to determine the extent to which adoption of health information technology (HIT) by physician practices may differ from the extent of use by individual physicians, and to examine factors associated with adoption and use. Materials and methods Using cross-sectional survey data from the National Study of Small and Medium-Sized Physician Practices (July 2007–March 2009), we examined the extent to which organizational capabilities and external incentives were associated with the adoption of five key HIT functionalities by physician practices and with use of those functionalities by individual physicians. Results The rate of physician practices adopting any of the five HIT functionalities was 34.1%. When practices adopted HIT functionalities, on average, about one in seven physicians did not use those functionalities. One physician in five did not use prompts and reminders following adoption by their practice. After controlling for other factors, both adoption of HIT by practices and use of HIT by individual physicians were higher in primary care practices and larger practices. Practices reporting an emphasis on patient-centered management were not more likely than others to adopt, but their physicians were more likely to use HIT. Discussion Larger practices were most likely to have adopted HIT, but other factors, including specialty mix and self-reported patient-centered management, had a stronger influence on the use of HIT once adopted. Conclusions Adoption of HIT by practices does not mean that physicians will use the HIT. PMID:23396512

Benefits and risks of adopting the global code of practice for recreational fisheries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arlinghaus, Robert; Beard, T. Douglas; Cooke, Steven J.; Cowx, Ian G.

2012-01-01

Recreational fishing constitutes the dominant or sole use of many fish stocks, particularly in freshwater ecosystems in Western industrialized countries. However, despite their social and economic importance, recreational fisheries are generally guided by local or regional norms and standards, with few comprehensive policy and development frameworks existing across jurisdictions. We argue that adoption of a recently developed Global Code of Practice (CoP) for Recreational Fisheries can provide benefits for moving recreational fisheries toward sustainability on a global scale. The CoP is a voluntary document, specifically framed toward recreational fisheries practices and issues, thereby complementing and extending the United Nation's Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries by the Food and Agricultural Organization. The CoP for Recreational Fisheries describes the minimum standards of environmentally friendly, ethically appropriate, and—depending on local situations—socially acceptable recreational fishing and its management. Although many, if not all, of the provisions presented in the CoP are already addressed through national fisheries legislation and state-based fisheries management regulations in North America, adopting a common framework for best practices in recreational fisheries across multiple jurisdictions would further promote their long-term viability in the face of interjurisdictional angler movements and some expanding threats to the activity related to shifting sociopolitical norms.

Education for Sustainability (EfS): Practice and Practice Architectures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kemmis, Stephen; Mutton, Rebecca

2012-01-01

This paper reports some findings from an investigation of educational practice in ten (formal and informal) education for sustainability (EfS) initiatives, to characterise exemplary practice in school and community education for sustainability, considered crucial to Australia's future. The study focused on rural/regional Australia, specifically…

Implementing Sustainable Institutional Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shepard, Joseph; Johnson, Lewis

2009-01-01

Recent research has found that few institutions of higher education implemented the necessary strategies to make their campuses sustainable (Thompson and Green 2005). Ironically, universities are the segment of society with the most access to the intellectual capital needed to provide sound sustainable practices and measurements. Having top…

Why farmers adopt best management practice in the United States: A meta-analysis of the adoption literature

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baumgart-Getz, Adam; Stalker Prokopy, Linda; Floress, Kristin

2012-01-01

This meta-analysis of both published and unpublished studies assesses factors believed to influence adoption of agricultural Best Management Practices in the United States. Using an established statistical technique to summarize the adoption literature in the United States, we identified the following variables as having the largest impact on adoption: access to and quality of information, financial capacity, and being connected to agency or local networks of farmers or watershed groups. This study shows that various approaches to data collection affect the results and comparability of adoption studies. In particular, environmental awareness and farmer attitudes have been inconsistently used and measured across the literature. This meta-analysis concludes with suggestions regarding the future direction of adoption studies, along with guidelines for how data should be presented to enhance the adoption of conservation practices and guide research.

Sustainability partnerships and viticulture management in California.

PubMed

Hillis, Vicken; Lubell, Mark; Hoffman, Matthew

2018-07-01

Agricultural regions in the United States are experimenting with sustainability partnerships that, among other goals, seek to improve growers' ability to manage their vineyards sustainably. In this paper, we analyze the association between winegrape grower participation in sustainability partnership activities and practice adoption in three winegrowing regions of California. Using data gathered from a survey of 822 winegrape growers, we find a positive association between participation and adoption of sustainable practices, which holds most strongly for practices in which the perceived private benefits outweigh the costs, and for growers with relatively dense social networks. We highlight the mechanisms by which partnerships may catalyze sustainable farm management, and discuss the implications of these findings for improving sustainability partnerships. Taken together, we provide one of the most comprehensive quantitative analyses to date regarding the effectiveness of agricultural sustainability partnerships for improving farm management. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stimulating a Sustainable Construction through Holistic BIM Adoption: The Root Causes of Recurring Low BIM Adoption in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamter, S.; Abdul-Aziz, AR; Mamat, ME

2017-06-01

Fostering the Building Information Modelling (BIM) implementation is one of Malaysia sustainable strategies towards greener construction. Hence, the Eleventh Malaysia plan focuses on transforming construction industry through the increase of technology adoption in order to enhance construction productivity. Therefore, there is a growing and urgent demand to provide BIM competent. However, a significant number of parties are reluctant to develop and invest in BIM due to unsolved root causes. Scholars have identified barriers relating to the infancy stage of BIM adoption in Malaysia. Unfortunately, there is a lack of study to explore deeper the root causes of recurring for the barriers anticipate the low BIM adoption. This paper attempts to delve into the initiatives of BIM stake players in fostering BIM adoption and to determine the root causes of recurring barriers due to low BIM adoption. The study adopted the semi-structured interviews which involved BIM stake players as a sample population. From the findings, authors revealed four root causes of recurring barriers; absence of BIM policy and BIM compulsion, poor holistic readiness, software integration competition strategy, and reluctant in sharing knowledge. The findings espoused here are preliminary and more results are expected to emerge as the research progresses.

Launching a Baby's Adoption: Practical Strategies for Parents and Professionals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, Patricia Irwin

Intended for adoptive parents and adoption practitioners and intermediaries, this book uses the metaphor of space exploration to provide practical strategies for meeting the adopted infant's needs and smoothing the transition. Chapter 1, "Mission: To Explore New Worlds," discusses adoptive and birth parent preparation, loss issues, and society's…

Factors influencing Dutch practice nurses' intention to adopt a new smoking cessation intervention.

PubMed

Leitlein, Lisa; Smit, Eline Suzanne; de Vries, Hein; Hoving, Ciska

2012-10-01

This article is a report of a study that aimed to identify factors influencing practice nurses' and nurse practitioners' intention to adopt a new smoking cessation intervention. Although effective smoking cessation interventions exist and practice nurses can offer a considerable resource in advertising patients to quit smoking, due to several reasons the majority of practice nurses do not implement these interventions. A cross-sectional study was undertaken among Dutch practice nurses and nurse practitioners working in general practices (n = 139) using electronic questionnaires. Data were collected from January until March in 2009. T-tests were used to compare adopters with non-adopters about their predisposing and motivational factors. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the variation in intention explained by these factors. The majority of practice nurses did not intend to adopt the new intervention (n = 85; 61.2%). More practice nurses than nurse practitioners intended to adopt the intervention. Attitude and perceived social norms were found to be positively correlated with the intention to adopt the intervention whereas satisfaction with current smoking cessation activities was found to be negatively correlated. Important associations were found between profession, attitude, social norms and satisfaction, and the intention to adopt the new smoking cessation intervention. Practice nurses who do not intend to adopt need to be persuaded of the advantages of adopting. Perceived social norms need to be restructured and before presenting the intervention to a general practice current smoking cessation activities should be determined to increase the intervention's compatibility with these current practices. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Testing use of payers to facilitate evidence-based practice adoption: protocol for a cluster-randomized trial

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background More effective methods are needed to implement evidence-based findings into practice. The Advancing Recovery Framework offers a multi-level approach to evidence-based practice implementation by aligning purchasing and regulatory policies at the payer level with organizational change strategies at the organizational level. Methods The Advancing Recovery Buprenorphine Implementation Study is a cluster-randomized controlled trial designed to increase use of the evidence-based practice buprenorphine medication to treat opiate addiction. Ohio Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services Boards (ADAMHS), who are payers, and their addiction treatment organizations were recruited for a trial to assess the effects of payer and treatment organization changes (using the Advancing Recovery Framework) versus treatment organization changes alone on the use of buprenorphine. A matched-pair randomization, based on county characteristics, was applied, resulting in seven county ADAMHS boards and twenty-five treatment organizations in each arm. Opioid dependent patients are nested within cluster (treatment organization), and treatment organization clusters are nested within ADAMHS county board. The primary outcome is the percentage of individuals with an opioid dependence diagnosis who use buprenorphine during the 24-month intervention period and the 12-month sustainability period. The trial is currently in the baseline data collection stage. Discussion Although addiction treatment providers are under increasing pressure to implement evidence-based practices that have been proven to improve patient outcomes, adoption of these practices lags, compared to other areas of healthcare. Reasons frequently cited for the slow adoption of EBPs in addiction treatment include, regulatory issues, staff, or client resistance and lack of resources. Yet the way addiction treatment is funded, the payer’s role—has not received a lot of attention in research on EBP adoption. This

A 4-year intervention to increase adoption of safer dairy farming work practices.

PubMed

Chapman, Larry J; Brunette, Christopher M; Karsh, Ben-Tzion; Taveira, Alvaro D; Josefsson, K Gunnar

2011-03-01

Traumatic and musculoskeletal injury rates have been high in dairy farming compared to other industries. Previous work has shown that social marketing efforts can persuade farm managers to adopt practices that reduce injury hazards compared to traditional practices if the new practices maintain profits. The intervention disseminated information to 4,300 Northeast Wisconsin dairy farm managers about three safer and more profitable production practices (barn lights, silage bags, and calf feed mixing sites) using information channels that these managers were known to rely on. We evaluated rolling, independent, community-based samples, at baseline and then again after each of four intervention years. We also evaluated samples from Maryland's 1,200 dairy farms after the second through the fourth year of the intervention. Maryland dairy managers read many of the same nationally distributed print mass media that we used in the intervention and so were a "partially exposed" comparison group. The intervention to disseminate information about the innovations was successful. In comparisons before and after the intervention, Wisconsin managers reported getting more information about calf sites from public events and equipment dealers, about silage bags from other farmers and equipment dealers, and about barn lights from public events, other farmers, equipment dealers, consultants, and electrical suppliers. Wisconsin managers also reported getting more information than Maryland managers from public events for barn lights and silage bags. During years three and four, the intervention managed to sustain, but not improve, earlier increases in adoption and awareness from the first 2 years. After adjusting for farm manager and operation variables, intervention years was associated with increased Wisconsin manager adoption of two of three practices in comparisons between the baseline and the fourth intervention year: barn lights (odds ratio = 5.58, 95% confidence interval = 3

Sustainable leadership in a Thai healthcare services provider.

PubMed

Kantabutra, Sooksan

2011-01-01

Rhineland leadership practices contrast sharply with the prevailing Anglo/US business model of short-term maximization of profitability, and are said to lead to greater corporate sustainability, at least in highly developed economies. However, the applicability of Rhineland leadership to less developed economies has not yet been demonstrated. This paper sets out to compare the business practices of a social enterprise that delivers healthcare services in Thailand and Avery's 19 sustainable leadership practices derived from Rhineland enterprises. Adopting a case study approach, multi-data collection methods included non-participant observations made during visits to the enterprise, and reference to internal and published documentation and information. Semi-structured interview sessions were held with many stakeholders, including top management, staff, patients and a former consultant. In the Thai healthcare organization studied, evidence was found for compliance with 15 of Avery's 19 sustainable leadership elements, but to varying degrees. The elements were grouped into six core sets of practices: adopting a long-term perspective, staff development, organizational culture, innovation, social responsibility, and ethical behavior. One element was found to be not applicable, and no evidence was found for conformity with Rhineland principles on the remaining three sustainable practices. The paper concludes that Avery's 19 Rhineland practices provide a useful framework for evaluating the corporate sustainability of this Thai enterprise. Healthcare enterprises in Thailand and possibly in other Asian countries that wish to sustain their organizational success could adopt Avery's 19 Sustainable Leadership Grid elements to examine their leadership practices, and adjust them to become more sustainable. The relevance of Rhineland sustainable leadership principles to enterprises in less developed economies remains to be investigated. This study attempts to uncover this unknown.

Smoking cessation treatment practices: recommendations for improved adoption on cardiology wards.

PubMed

Berndt, Nadine C; Bolman, Catherine; de Vries, Hein; Segaar, Dewi; van Boven, Irene; Lechner, Lilian

2013-01-01

Smoking cessation treatment practices described by the 5 A's (ask, advise, assess, assist, arrange) are not well applied at cardiology wards because of various reasons, such as a lack of time and appropriate skills of the nursing staff. Therefore, a simplified guideline proposing an ask-advise-refer (AAR) strategy was introduced in Dutch cardiac wards. This study aimed to identify factors that determine the intentions of cardiac ward heads in adopting the simplified AAR guideline, as ward heads are key decision makers in the adoption of new guidelines. Ward heads' perceptions of current smoking cessation practices at the cardiac ward were also investigated. A cross-sectional survey with written questionnaires was conducted among heads of cardiology wards throughout the Netherlands, of whom 117 (64%) responded. According to the heads of cardiac wards, smoking cessation practices by cardiologists and nurses were mostly limited to brief practices that are easy to conduct. Only a minority offered intensive counseling or arranged follow-up contact. Heads with strong intentions of adopting the AAR guideline differed significantly on motivational and organizational attributes and perceived more smoking cessation assistance by other health professionals than did heads with weak intentions of adopting. Positive attitudes, social support toward adoption, and perception of much assistance at the ward were significantly associated with increased intentions to adopt the AAR guideline. Brief smoking cessation practices are adequately performed at cardiac wards, but the most effective practices, offering assistance and arranging for follow-up, are less than optimal. The AAR guideline offers a more feasible approach for busy cardiology wards. To ensure successful adoption of this guideline, the heads of cardiac wards should be convinced of its advantages and be encouraged by a supportive work environment. Policies may also facilitate the adoption of the AAR guideline.

The influence of experiential learning on medical equipment adoption in general practices.

PubMed

Bourke, Jane; Roper, Stephen

2014-10-01

The benefits of the availability and use of medical equipment for medical outcomes are understood by physicians and policymakers alike. However, there is limited understanding of the decision-making processes involved in adopting and using new technologies in health care organisations. Our study focuses on the adoption of medical equipment in Irish general practices which are marked by considerable autonomy in terms of commercial practice and the range of medical services they provide. We examine the adoption of six items of medical equipment taking into account commercial, informational and experiential stimuli. Our analysis is based on primary survey data collected from a sample of 601 general practices in Ireland on practice characteristics and medical equipment use. We use a multivariate Probit to identify commonalities in the determinants of the adoption. Many factors, such as GP and practice characteristics, influence medical equipment adoption. In addition, we find significant and consistent evidence of the influence of learning-by-using effects on the adoption of medical equipment in a general practice setting. Knowledge generated by experiential or applied learning can have commercial, organisational and health care provision benefits in small health care organisations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Companies’ contribution to sustainability through global supply chains

PubMed Central

Thorlakson, Tannis; de Zegher, Joann F.; Lambin, Eric F.

2018-01-01

Global supply chains play a critical role in many of the most pressing environmental stresses and social struggles identified by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Responding to calls from the global community, companies are adopting a variety of voluntary practices to improve the environmental and/or social management of their suppliers’ activities. We develop a global survey of 449 publicly listed companies in the food, textile, and wood-products sectors with annual reports in English to provide insight into how the private sector contributes to advancing the SDGs via such sustainable-sourcing practices. We find that while 52% of companies use at least one sustainable-sourcing practice, these practices are limited in scope; 71% relates to only one or a few input materials and 60.5% apply to only first-tier suppliers. We also find that sustainable-sourcing practices typically address a small subset of the sustainability challenges laid out by the SDGs, primarily focusing on labor rights and compliance with national laws. Consistent with existing hypotheses, companies that face consumer and civil society pressure are associated with a significantly higher probability of adopting sustainable-sourcing practices. Our findings highlight the opportunities and limitations of corporate sustainable-sourcing practices in addressing the myriad sustainability challenges facing our world today. PMID:29440420

Why Do Smallholder Farmers Dis-adopt Conservation Agriculture? Insights from Malawi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chinseu, Edna; Dougill, Andrew; Stringer, Lindsay

2017-04-01

International donors and advisory bodies, national governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are all actively promoting conservation agriculture (CA) as a route to sustainable agricultural development, recognising the importance of agriculture to the national economy and livelihoods of rural communities. CA is anchored in 3 principles: i) minimum soil disturbance, ii) continuous soil cover and iii) crop associations. It is advocated on the basis of improving crop yields, income and/or profits; reducing production costs; and conserving soil and water. Despite huge investments made by CA proponents, many farmers only practice CA for a short time. They subsequently dis-adopt (abandon) the seemingly appropriate innovation and revert back to conventional tillage practices. While factors affecting the (initial) adoption of agricultural technologies have been studied extensively, dis-adoption has rarely been investigated. Improving our understanding of dis-adoption of seemingly appropriate and sustainable interventions is vital for long-term sustainable land management, food security and for ensuring sustained impacts of agricultural development project interventions more broadly. This research investigates why smallholder farmers abandon CA practices in Malawi by exploring farmers' experiences of CA and their implications in dis-adoption. A mixed methods approach was used, involving household questionnaire survey and focus group discussions with smallholder farmers. Findings reveal that reasons for dis-adoption are multi-dimensional and multi-layered. While CA proponents are marketing CA as a time saving, labour saving and yield improving technology, many farmers report contrary experiences. Findings also showed that farmers lacked ownership of CA projects and encountered various social challenges, which coupled with unfulfilled expectations, led to dis-adoption. In sub-Saharan Africa, this suggests that there is a need to: (1) market CA as a climate

A longitudinal study assessing childcare services' adoption of obesity prevention policies and practices.

PubMed

Yoong, Sze Lin; Finch, Meghan; Nathan, Nicole; Wiggers, John; Lecathelinais, Christophe; Jones, Jannah; Dodds, Pennie; Wolfenden, Luke

2016-07-01

Despite ongoing investments to improve the obesogenic environments of childcare settings, little is known regarding how these services have changed their physical activity and nutrition-promoting practices. This study aims to describe changes in the proportion of Australian childcare services that have adopted best-practice healthy eating and physical activity practices between 2006 and 2013 and to assess whether adoption varied by socio-economic status and locality. A randomly selected sample of nominated supervisors (n = 358) from childcare services located in New South Wales, Australia, participated in a telephone survey in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2013. Supervisors reported on their service's adoption of six practices: (i) having written nutrition and physical activity policies; (ii) staff trained in physical activity and nutrition in the past year; (iii) scheduled time for fundamental movement skills and (iv) outdoor play; (v) weekly or less screen time opportunities; and (vi) serving only non-sweetened beverages. A significant increase in the prevalence of services adopting all but one practice, between 2006 and 2013 was identified. Ninety one percent of services adopted four or more practices, a significant increase from 38% in 2006. There were no differences in the proportion of services adopting each practice by locality and socio-economic status. Government investment in obesity prevention programmes can equitably improve childcare service's adoption of healthy eating and physical activity promoting practices on a jurisdiction-wide basis. The establishment of a routine system to monitor adoption of a broader range of practices by childcare services is warranted. © 2016 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

The Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario (CAHO) Adopting Research to Improve Care (ARTIC) Program: Reach, Sustainability, Spread and Lessons Learned from an Implementation Funding Model

PubMed Central

Grouchy, Michelle; Graham, Ian D.; Shandling, Maureen; Doyle, Winnie; Straus, Sharon E.

2016-01-01

Despite evidence on what works in healthcare, there is a significant gap in the time it takes to bring research into practice. The Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario's Adopting Research to Improve Care program addresses this research-to-practice gap by incorporating the following components into its funding program: strategic selection of evidence for implementation, education and training for implementation, implementation supports, executive champions and governance, and evaluation. Funded projects have been sustained (76% reported full sustainability) and spread to over 200 new sites. Lessons learned include the following: assess readiness, develop tailored implementation materials, consider characteristics of implementation supports, protect champion time and consider evaluation feasibility. PMID:27232234

The decision to adopt evidence-based and other innovative mental health practices: risky business?

PubMed

Panzano, Phyllis C; Roth, Dee

2006-08-01

A risk-based decision-making framework was used to examine the decision to adopt innovative mental health practices, including both evidence-based and other research-guided practices. Seventy-eight projects involving decisions to adopt one of four innovative mental health practices were the focus of this study. Key informants with direct knowledge about the adoption decision provided data for hypothesis testing. As predicted, the propensity to adopt an innovative practice-as measured by decision stage-was negatively related to the perceived risk of adopting the practice, positively related to expected capacity to manage risk, and positively related to an organization's past propensity to take risks. Further, perceived risk, anticipated resource availability, and exposure to field-based evidence explained a substantial part of what differentiated adopters from nonadopters. Finally, several features of innovations known to influence innovation adoption decisions were found to be related in expected ways to perceived risk, capacity to manage risk, and risk propensity. This research supports the view that the decision to adopt an innovative mental health practice is a decision made in consideration of risk. Contrary to popular views that early adopters of innovations are willing to take enormous risks, these data offer the novel idea that early adopters act because they see the risks associated with adopting as lower than their nonadopter counterparts, partly because the risks are seen as more manageable. Implications of results are discussed for organizations considering adoption of innovative health care practices and for state or local mental health authorities hoping for a higher level of adoption in their areas.

A Thematic Analysis of Health Care Workers' Adoption of Mindfulness Practices.

PubMed

Valley, Morgan; Stallones, Lorann

2018-05-01

Mindfulness training, which teaches individuals to bring awareness and acceptance to the present moment, has been effective in improving the well-being of health care workers. Limited research examines the adoption of mindfulness practices using health behavior theories. The current study sought to conceptualize hospital health care workers' experiences in adopting mindfulness practices using the Health Belief Model (HBM), a theoretical framework used by health promotion practitioners to design and implement health behavior change interventions. Hospital health care workers in Colorado participated in an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course. Participants ( n = 19) answered open-ended questions about their experiences adopting mindfulness practices. A theory-driven thematic analysis approach was used to analyze data with key constructs of the HBM acting as the framework for the analysis. Results showed that HBM constructs, including internal cues to action, perceived benefits and barriers, and self-efficacy, helped portray the participants' experiences and challenges in adopting and adhering to the mindfulness practices taught in the MBSR course.

The propensity to adopt evidence-based practice among physical therapists

PubMed Central

Bridges, Patricia H; Bierema, Laura L; Valentine, Thomas

2007-01-01

Background Many authors, as well as the American Physical Therapy Association, advocate that physical therapists adopt practice patterns based on research evidence, known as evidence-based practice (EBP). At the same time, physical therapists should be capable of integrating EBP within the day-to-day practice of physical therapy. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which personal characteristics and the characteristics of the social system in the workplace influence the propensity of physical therapists to adopt EBP. Methods The study used a 69 item mailed self-completion questionnaire. The questionnaire had four major sections. The first three sections were each drawn from a different theoretical framework and from different authors' work. The instrument was developed to capture the propensity of physical therapists to adopt EBP, characteristics of the social system in the workplace of physical therapists, personal characteristics of physical therapists, and selected demographic variables of physical therapists. The eligible population consisted of 3,897 physical therapists licensed by the state of Georgia in the United States of America. A random sample of 1320 potential participants was drawn. Results 939 questionnaires were returned for a response rate of 73%. 831 of the participants' questionnaires were useable and became the basis for the study. There was a moderate association between desire for learning (r = .36, r2 = .13), highest degree held (r = .29, r2 = .08), practicality (r = .27, r2 = .07) and nonconformity (r = .24, r2 = .06) and the propensity to adopt EBP. A negative correlation was found between age, years licensed and percentage of time in direct patient care. The findings demonstrated that the best three variables for predicting the propensity to adopt EBP in physical therapy were: desire for learning, highest degree held, and practicality. Conclusion The study confirms there is no single factor to facilitate research

Companies' contribution to sustainability through global supply chains.

PubMed

Thorlakson, Tannis; de Zegher, Joann F; Lambin, Eric F

2018-02-27

Global supply chains play a critical role in many of the most pressing environmental stresses and social struggles identified by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Responding to calls from the global community, companies are adopting a variety of voluntary practices to improve the environmental and/or social management of their suppliers' activities. We develop a global survey of 449 publicly listed companies in the food, textile, and wood-products sectors with annual reports in English to provide insight into how the private sector contributes to advancing the SDGs via such sustainable-sourcing practices. We find that while 52% of companies use at least one sustainable-sourcing practice, these practices are limited in scope; 71% relates to only one or a few input materials and 60.5% apply to only first-tier suppliers. We also find that sustainable-sourcing practices typically address a small subset of the sustainability challenges laid out by the SDGs, primarily focusing on labor rights and compliance with national laws. Consistent with existing hypotheses, companies that face consumer and civil society pressure are associated with a significantly higher probability of adopting sustainable-sourcing practices. Our findings highlight the opportunities and limitations of corporate sustainable-sourcing practices in addressing the myriad sustainability challenges facing our world today. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

Examining the compatibility between forestry incentive programs in the US and the practice of sustainable forest management

Treesearch

Steven E Daniels; Michael A Kilgore; Michael G Jacobson; John L Greene; Thomas J Straka

2010-01-01

This research explores the intersection between the various federal and state forestry incentive programs and the adoption of sustainable forestry practices on nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) lands in the US. The qualitative research reported here draws upon a series of eight focus groups of NIPF landowners (two each in Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and South...

Potential facilitators and barriers to adopting standard treatment guidelines in clinical practice.

PubMed

Sharma, Sangeeta; Pandit, Ajay; Tabassum, Fauzia

2017-04-18

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess medicines information sources accessed by clinicians, if sources differed in theory and practice and to find out the barriers and facilitators to effective guideline adoption. Design/methodology/approach In all, 183 doctors were surveyed. Barriers and facilitators were classified as: communication; potential adopters; innovation; organization characteristics and environmental/social/economic context. Findings Most of the clinicians accessed multiple information sources including standard treatment guidelines, but also consulted seniors/colleagues in practice. The top three factors influencing clinical practice guideline adoption were innovation characteristics, environmental context and individual characteristics. The respondents differed in the following areas: concerns about flexibility offered by the guideline; denying patients' individuality; professional autonomy; insights into gaps in current practice and evidence-based practice; changing practices with little or no benefit. Barriers included negative staff attitudes/beliefs, guideline integration into organizational structures/processes, time/resource constraints. Fearing third parties (government and insurance companies) restricting medicines reimbursement and poor liability protection offered by the guidelines emerged as the barriers. Facilitators include aligning organizational structures/processes with the innovation; providing leadership support to guide diffusion; increasing awareness and enabling early innovation during pre/in-service training, with regular feedback on outcomes and use. Practical implications Guideline adoption in clinical practice is partly within doctors' control. There are other key prevailing factors in the local context such as environmental, social context, professional and organizational culture affecting its adoption. Organizational policy and accreditation standards necessitating adherence can serve as a driver. Originality

The Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario (CAHO) Adopting Research to Improve Care (ARTIC) Program: Reach, Sustainability, Spread and Lessons Learned from an Implementation Funding Model.

PubMed

Moore, Julia E; Grouchy, Michelle; Graham, Ian D; Shandling, Maureen; Doyle, Winnie; Straus, Sharon E

2016-05-01

Despite evidence on what works in healthcare, there is a significant gap in the time it takes to bring research into practice. The Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario's Adopting Research to Improve Care program addresses this research-to-practice gap by incorporating the following components into its funding program: strategic selection of evidence for implementation, education and training for implementation, implementation supports, executive champions and governance, and evaluation. Funded projects have been sustained (76% reported full sustainability) and spread to over 200 new sites. Lessons learned include the following: assess readiness, develop tailored implementation materials, consider characteristics of implementation supports, protect champion time and consider evaluation feasibility. Copyright © 2016 Longwoods Publishing.

Adoption research, practice, and societal trends: Ten years of progress.

PubMed

Wiley, Mary O'Leary

2017-12-01

Adoption involves the legal transfer of parental rights and responsibilities from a child's birth parents to adults who will raise the child (Reitz & Watson, 1992). Research related to adoption has expanded over the past 10 years and has incorporated more focus on implications for practice and public policy. This expansion has reflected increased awareness of the lived experience of adopted individuals, in addition to that of adoptive families and birth or first parents and families, collectively known as the adoption kinship network (Grotevant & McRoy, 1998). Trends discussed included research and social trends or movements (2007-2017) since the publication of the final article in a series of articles in the psychological literature related to adoption in The Counseling Psychologist (Baden & Wiley, 2007; Lee, 2003; O'Brien & Zamostny, 2003; Wiley & Baden, 2005; Zamostny, O'Brien, Baden, & Wiley, 2003; Zamostny, Wiley, O'Brien, Lee, & Baden, 2003). This article summarizes the social trends and research related to adoption over the last 10 years, including longitudinal and meta-analytic studies, increased research and conceptualization of ethnic and racial identity development, research on microaggressions, and research on diverse adoptive families, including those with gay and lesbian parents. Social trends included increased knowledge related to Internet accessibility, genetic information, continued focus on openness, and viewing adoption through a more critical lens. Implications are discussed for the development of programs that enhance competence of mental health professionals and adoption professionals in adoption-competent practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Toward Sustainable Practices in Technology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elshof, Leo

2009-01-01

This paper discusses the problematic relationship between technology education, consumption and environmental sustainability. The emerging global sustainability crisis demands an educational response that moves beyond mere "tinkering" with classroom practices, toward technology education which embraces life cycle thinking and…

Adoption of sun safe workplace practices by local governments.

PubMed

Wallis, Allan; Andersen, Peter A; Buller, David B; Walkosz, Barbara; Lui, Lucia; Buller, Mary; Scott, Michael D; Jenkins, Rob

2014-01-01

Outdoor workers are especially susceptible to skin cancer--the most common, but also one of the most preventable, forms of cancer. Colorado, the location of the study, has the second highest rate of skin cancer deaths in the nation. Local government managers in Colorado-in municipalities, counties, and special districts-were surveyed to ascertain the extent to which they engage in formal (written) and informal practices to protect their outdoor workers against excessive exposure to sun. The survey consisted of 51 questions assessing awareness of formal or informal practices for sun protection of outdoor workers. An index of practices--the study's dependent variable--was created that was composed or practices such as providing employees free or reduced-cost sunscreen, wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, long-sleeved work shirts, long work pants, and temporary or permanent outdoor shade shelters. Proscriptive policies, such as restricting the use of broad brimmed hats, were subtracted from the index. Surveys were completed by 825 administrators representing 98 jurisdictions. Responses from administrators in the same jurisdiction were averaged. More than 40% of responding jurisdictions indicated that they engaged in informal sun safety practices. Tests conducted to determine what variables might account for the adoption of these sun protection practices found that the degree to which a community could be regarded as cosmopolite and as having an individualistic political culture were significant predictors. Type of government was also significant. Although, higher community income was a significant predictor, neither local government budget nor size was significant. The adoption of sun safe practices bears low costs with potentially high returns. Findings from this study suggest that awareness campaigns might most effectively target cosmopolite communities, but that the greatest impact might be achieved by targeting localite communities. Government size and budget do not

Sustaining a culture of practice development in an acute adolescent inpatient mental health unit.

PubMed

Vella, Natalie; Page, Laura; Edwards, Clair; Wand, Timothy

2014-08-01

It is recognized that facilitating change in workplace culture is a significant challenge in healthcare service delivery. Practice development strategies and principles provide a framework for initiating and sustaining programs focused on enhancing patient-centered care by concentrating on the therapeutic attributes of nursing. However, little literature exists on explicating "what worked" in practice development programs. This paper details the processes, people, resources, and relationships that enabled the successful implementation, and led to the sustainability, of a practice development program employed in an acute adolescent mental health unit in Sydney, Australia. Following an external review of the unit, a meeting of key stakeholders was convened and subsequently an advisory panel formed to address specific issues facing nursing staff. This process resulted in the development of an educational package and adoption of the tidal model as the framework for mental health nursing practice in the unit. Clinical reasoning sessions and journal article presentations were incorporated to consolidate and maintain the change in nursing care. A planned, structured, and inclusive practice development program has transformed the nursing culture and vastly improved the care provided to adolescents presenting in acute states of distress to this mental health unit. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sustainability in care through an ethical practice model.

PubMed

Nyholm, Linda; Salmela, Susanne; Nyström, Lisbet; Koskinen, Camilla

2018-03-01

While sustainability is a key concept in many different domains today, it has not yet been sufficiently emphasized in the healthcare sector. Earlier research shows that ethical values and evidence-based care models create sustainability in care practice. The aim of this study was to gain further understanding of the ethical values central to the realization of sustainability in care and to create an ethical practice model whereby these basic values can be made perceptible and active in care practice. Part of the ongoing "Ethical Sustainable Caring Cultures" research project, a hermeneutical application research design was employed in this study. Dialogues were used, where scientific researchers and co-researchers were given the opportunity to reflect on ethical values in relation to sustainability in care. An ethical practice model with ethos as its core was created from the results of the dialogues. In the model, ethos is encircled by the ethical values central to sustainability: dignity, responsibility, respect, invitation, and vows. The model can be used as a starting point for ethical conversations that support carers' reflections on the ethical issues seen in day-to-day care work and the work community, allowing ethical values to become visible throughout the entire care culture. It is intended as a tool whereby carers can more deeply understand an organization's common basic values and what they entail in regard to sustainability in care.

Social Influence on Information Technology Adoption and Sustained Use in Healthcare: A Hierarchical Bayesian Learning Method Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hao, Haijing

2013-01-01

Information technology adoption and diffusion is currently a significant challenge in the healthcare delivery setting. This thesis includes three papers that explore social influence on information technology adoption and sustained use in the healthcare delivery environment using conventional regression models and novel hierarchical Bayesian…

Review of factors affecting sustainability in the universities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajilian, Hosna

Understanding the factors which influence adopting sustainability practices in IHE is an important issue to develop more effective sustainability's methods and policies. The focus of this research is to find out a meaningful relationship between adopting sustainability practices and some of the characteristics of institutions of higher education (IHE). IHE can be considered as the best place to promote sustainability and develop the culture of sustainability in society. Thus, this research is conducted to help developing sustainability in IHE which have significant direct and indirect impact on society and the environment. First, the sustainability letter grades were derived from "Greenreportcard.org" which have been produced based on an evaluation of each school in nine main categories including: Administration, Climate Change & Energy, Food & Recycling, etc. In the next step, the characteristics of IHE as explanatory variables were chosen from "The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System" (IPEDS) and respective database was implemented in STATA Software. Finally, the "ordered-Probit Model" is used through STATA to analyze the impact of some IHE's factor on adopting sustainability practices on campus. The results of this analysis indicate that variables related to "Financial support" category are the most influential factors in determining the sustainability status of the university. "The university features" with two significant variables for "Selectivity" and "Top 50 LA" can be classified as the second influential category in this table, although the "Student influence" is also eligible to be ranked as the second important factor. Finally, the "Location feature" of university was determined with the least influential impact on the sustainability of campuses.

A 10-Step Guide to Adopting and Sustaining Evidence-Based Practices in Out-of-School Time Programs. Research-to-Results Brief. Publication #2007-15

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metz, Allison J. R.

2007-01-01

This brief represents part 2 in a series on fostering the adoption of evidence-based practices in out-of-school time programs. Many practitioners lack information on how to implement evidence-based practice(s) in their own programs or communities. A major reason for this gap is a lack of research on the process for implementing evidence-based…

Principals Management Support Practices to Promote Teachers' Instructional Improvement for Sustainable Development in Secondary Education in Anambra State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Victor, Akinfolarin Akinwale; Emetarom, Uche Grace

2017-01-01

This study ascertained the principals management support practices to promote teachers instructional improvement for sustainable development in secondary education in Anambra State. Two specific purposes were formulated and two research questions guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The study was conducted in the six…

Sustainable concrete pavements : a manual of practice.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-08-01

Developed as a more detailed follow-up to a 2009 briefing document, Building Sustainable Pavement with Concrete, this guide provides a clear, concise, and cohesive discussion of pavement sustainability concepts and of recommended practices for maximi...

Students' Experience of Sustainability: Health as a Lever for Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweizer, Angélick; Miserez, Sébastien; del Rio Carral, Maria; Santiago-Delefosse, Marie

2018-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to deepen the authors' understanding of higher education students' perceptions about sustainability issues by focusing on their motivations to adopt (or not to adopt) sustainable practices in their lives. It mobilized the notion of "health" and the potential impacts of climate change on health.…

Designing for sustained adoption: A model of developing educational innovations for successful propagation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khatri, Raina; Henderson, Charles; Cole, Renée; Froyd, Jeffrey E.; Friedrichsen, Debra; Stanford, Courtney

2016-06-01

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Preparing and Supporting University Physics Educators.] The physics education research community has produced a wealth of knowledge about effective teaching and learning of college level physics. Based on this knowledge, many research-proven instructional strategies and teaching materials have been developed and are currently available to instructors. Unfortunately, these intensive research and development activities have failed to influence the teaching practices of many physics instructors. This paper describes interim results of a larger study to develop a model of designing materials for successful propagation. The larger study includes three phases, the first two of which are reported here. The goal of the first phase was to characterize typical propagation practices of education developers, using data from a survey of 1284 National Science Foundation (NSF) principal investigators and focus group data from eight disciplinary groups of NSF program directors. The goal of the second phase was to develop an understanding of successful practice by studying three instructional strategies that have been well propagated. The result of the first two phases is a tentative model of designing for successful propagation, which will be further validated in the third phase through purposeful sampling of additional well-propagated instructional strategies along with typical education development projects. We found that interaction with potential adopters was one of the key missing ingredients in typical education development activities. Education developers often develop a polished product before getting feedback, rely on mass-market communication channels for dissemination, and do not plan for supporting adopters during implementation. The tentative model resulting from this study identifies three key propagation activities: interactive development, interactive dissemination, and support of adopters. Interactive development

Sustainability of depression care improvements: success of a practice change improvement collaborative.

PubMed

Nease, Donald E; Nutting, Paul A; Graham, Deborah G; Dickinson, W Perry; Gallagher, Kaia M; Jeffcott-Pera, Michelle

2010-01-01

Long-term sustainment of improvements in care continues to challenge primary care practices. During the 2 years after of our Improving Depression Care collaborative, we examined how well practices were sustaining their depression care improvements. Our study design used a qualitative interview follow-up of a modified learning collaborative intervention. We conducted telephone interviews with practice champions from 15 of the original 16 practices. Interviews were conducted during a 3-month period in 2008, and were recorded and professionally transcribed. Data on each of the depression care improvements and the change management strategy emphasized during the learning collaborative were summarized after review of the primary data and a consensus process to resolve differing interpretations. During the period from 15 months to 3 years since our project began, depression screening or case finding was sustained in 14 of 15 practices. Thirteen practices sustained use of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire for depression monitoring, and one additional practice initiated it. Seven practices initiated self-management support and 2 of 3 practices sustained it. In contrast, tracking and case management proved difficult to sustain, with only 4 of 8 practices continuing this activity. Diffusion of use of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire to other clinicians in the practice was maintained in all but 3 practices and expanded in one practice. Six of the practices continued to use the change management strategy, including all 4 of the practices that sustained tracking. Practices demonstrated long-term sustained improvement in depression care with the exception of tracking and care management, which may be a more challenging innovation to sustain. We hypothesize that sustaining complex depression care innovations may require active management by the practice.

Sustainable water management practices and remote sensing.

EPA Science Inventory

The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s charge to protect human health and the environment requires a long-term commitment to creating sustainable solutions to environmental problems. The most direct way to ensure that management practices are achieving sustainability...

Changing behavior towards sustainable practices using Information Technology.

PubMed

Iveroth, Einar; Bengtsson, Fredrik

2014-06-15

This article addresses the question of how to change individuals' behavior towards more sustainable practices using Information Technology (IT). By following a multidisciplinary and socio-technical perspective, this inquiry is answered by applying a new framework-The Commonality Framework for IT-enabled Change-on a case study of sustainable behavioral change. The framework is grounded in practice theory and is used to analyze the implementation of an IT-system aimed at changing citizens' behavior towards more sustainable transport logistics and procurement in Uppsala, Sweden. The article applies case study research design and the empirical data consists of surveys, in-depth and semi-structured interviews, observations and archival documents. The results show how the change towards sustainable practices is an entanglement of both social and technical-structural elements across time. In this process, structures such as IT are the enablers, and the actors and their social activities are the tipping-point factors that ultimately determine the success of changing individuals' behavior towards a more sustainable direction. This article provides a more balanced view of how both actor and structure related properties interact during the on-going work with change towards greater sustainability practices than earlier research has offered. More specifically, the article offers both a lower-level theory and a method from which we can analyze change processes where technology is seen in its context, and where both technology and the human actor is brought forth to center stage. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Colorblind and Multicultural Ideologies Are Associated with Faculty Adoption of Inclusive Teaching Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aragón, Oriana R.; Dovidio, John F.; Graham, Mark J.

2017-01-01

Professional workshops aimed at increasing student diversity typically urge college-level science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educators to implement inclusive teaching practices. A model of the process by which educators adopt such practices, and the relationship between adoption and 2 ideologies of diversity is tested here. One…

Socio-technical strategies and behavior change to increase the adoption and sustainability of wastewater resource recovery systems.

PubMed

Prouty, Christine; Mohebbi, Shima; Zhang, Qiong

2018-06-15

Given the increasing vulnerability of communities to the negative impacts of untreated wastewater, resource recovery (RR) systems provide a paradigm shift away from a traditional approach of waste separation and treatment towards a productive recovery of water, energy and nutrients. The aim of this research is to understand the relationships between factors that influence the adoption and sustainability of wastewater-based RR systems to inform technology implementation strategies. The study presents a theory-informed, community-influenced system dynamics (SD) model to provide decision-makers with an adaptable tool that simulates system-level responses to the strategies that are developed for the coastal town of Placencia, Belize. The modeling framework is informed by literature-based theories such as the theory of diffusion of innovations (TDI) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Various methods, including surveys, interviews, participatory observations, and a water constituents mass balance analysis are used to validate relationships and numerically populate the model. The SD model was evaluated with field data and simulated to identify strategies that will improve the adoption and sustainability of RR systems. Site demonstrations (marketing strategy) made a significant impact on the stock of adopted RR systems. The stock of sustained RR systems is driven by the sustainability rate (i.e. economic and environmental viability) which can be improved by more site demonstrations and tank options (technical strategy). These strategies, however, only contributed to incremental improvements in the system's sustainability performance. This study shows that changing community behaviors (i.e. reporting the correct number of users and reclaiming resources), represented by structural change in the SD model, is the more significant way to influence the sustainable management of the community's wastewater resources. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sustainability of Evidence-Based Acute Pain Management Practices for Hospitalized Older Adults.

PubMed

Shuman, Clayton J; Xie, Xian-Jin; Herr, Keela A; Titler, Marita G

2017-11-01

Little is known regarding sustainability of evidence-based practices (EBPs) following implementation. This article reports sustainability of evidence-based acute pain management practices in hospitalized older adults following testing of a multifaceted Translating Research Into Practice (TRIP) implementation intervention. A cluster randomized trial with follow-up period was conducted in 12 Midwest U.S. hospitals (six experimental, six comparison). Use of evidence-based acute pain management practices and mean pain intensity were analyzed using generalized estimating equations across two time points (following implementation and 18 months later) to determine sustainability of TRIP intervention effects. Summative Index scores and six of seven practices were sustained. Experimental and comparison group differences for mean pain intensity over 72 hours following admission were sustained. Results revealed most evidence-based acute pain management practices were sustained for 18 months following implementation. Further work is needed to identify factors affecting sustainability of EBPs to guide development and testing of sustainability strategies.

District Level Leadership: Core Leadership Practices for Sustainable Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feagan, Roger W.; Kupka, Cynthia J.; Laubenstein, Michelle M.; Miller, Dana L.

2009-01-01

This report describes the findings of a doctoral team project regarding core leadership practices that support sustainable academic change. The project team reviewed literature related to sustainable change, reform models, and leadership. The empirical research regarding the relationship between district level leadership practices that contribute…

Adoption of Sun Safe Work Place Practices by Local Governments

PubMed Central

Wallis, Allan; Andersen, Peter A.; Buller, David B.; Walkosz, Barbara; Lui, Lucia; Buller, Mary; Scott, Michael D.; Jenkins, Rob

2014-01-01

Context Outdoor workers are especially susceptible to skin cancer, the most common, but also one of the most preventable, forms of cancer. Colorado, the location of the study, has the second highest rate of skin cancer deaths in the nation. Objective Local government managers in Colorado—in municipalities, counties and special districts—were surveyed in order to ascertain the extent to which they engage in formal (written) and informal practices to protect their outdoor workers against excessive exposure to sun. Design The survey consisted of 51 question assessing awareness of formal or informal practices for sun protection of outdoor workers. An index of practices--the study's dependent variable--was created that was comprised or practices such as providing employees free or reduced-cost sunscreen, wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, long-sleeved work shirts, long work pants, and temporary or permanent outdoor shade shelters. Proscriptive policies, such as restricting the use of broad brimmed hats, were subtracted from the index. Surveys were completed by 825 administrators representing 98 jurisdictions. Responses from administrators in the same jurisdiction were averaged. Results Over 40 percent of responding jurisdictions indicated that they engaged in informal sun safety practices. Tests conducted to determine what variables might account for the adoption of these sun protection practices found that the degree to which a community could be regarded as cosmopolite and as having an individualistic political culture were significant predictors. Type of government was also significant. Although, higher community income was a significant predictor, neither local government budget nor size was significant. Conclusions The adoption of sun safe practices bears low costs with potentially high returns. Findings from this study suggest that awareness campaigns might most effectively target cosmopolite communities, but that the greatest impact might be achieved by targeting

How Do Dentists Understand Evidence and Adopt It in Practice?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sbaraini, Alexandra; Carter, Stacy M.; Evans, R. Wendell

2012-01-01

Although there is now a large evidence-based dentistry literature, previous investigators have shown that dentists often consider research evidence irrelevant to their practice. To understand why this is the case, we conducted a qualitative study. Objective: Our aim was to identify how dentists define evidence and how they adopt it in practice.…

Update on Electronic Dental Record and Clinical Computing Adoption Among Dental Practices in the United States

PubMed Central

Schroeder, Dixie; Schwei, Kelsey; Chyou, Po-Huang

2017-01-01

This study sought to re-characterize trends and factors affecting electronic dental record (EDR) and technologies adoption by dental practices and the impact of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) act on adoption rates through 2012. A 39-question survey was disseminated nationally over 3 months using a novel, statistically-modeled approach informed by early response rates to achieve a predetermined sample. EDR adoption rate for clinical support was 52%. Adoption rates were higher among: (1) younger dentists; (2) dentists ≤ 15 years in practice; (3) females; and (4) group practices. Top barriers to adoption were EDR cost/expense, cost-benefit ratio, electronic format conversion, and poor EDR usability. Awareness of the Federal HITECH incentive program was low. The rate of chairside computer implementation was 72%. Adoption of EDR in dental offices in the United States was higher in 2012 than electronic health record adoption rates in medical offices and was not driven by the HITECH program. Patient portal adoption among dental practices in the United States remained low. PMID:29229631

Practices Caring For The Underserved Are Less Likely To Adopt Medicare's Annual Wellness Visit.

PubMed

Ganguli, Ishani; Souza, Jeffrey; McWilliams, J Michael; Mehrotra, Ateev

2018-02-01

In 2011 Medicare introduced the annual wellness visit to help address the health risks of aging adults. The visit also offers primary care practices an opportunity to generate revenue, and may allow practices in accountable care organizations to attract healthier patients while stabilizing patient-practitioner assignments. However, uptake of the visit has been uneven. Using national Medicare data for the period 2008-15, we assessed practices' ability and motivation to adopt the visit. In 2015, 51.2 percent of practices provided no annual wellness visits (nonadopters), while 23.1 percent provided visits to at least a quarter of their eligible beneficiaries (adopters). Adopters replaced problem-based visits with annual wellness visits and saw increases in primary care revenue. Compared to nonadopters, adopters had more stable patient assignment and a slightly healthier patient mix. At the same time, visit rates were lower among practices caring for underserved populations (for example, racial minorities and those dually enrolled in Medicaid), potentially worsening disparities. Policy makers should consider ways to encourage uptake of the visit or other mechanisms to promote preventive care in underserved populations and the practices that serve them.

Annual Sustainability Report FY 2014. Incorporates NREL Site Sustainability Plan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rukavina, Frank

NREL's Sustainability Program is responsible for upholding all executive orders, federal regulations, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) orders, and goals related to sustainable and resilient facility operations. But NREL continues to expand sustainable practices above and beyond the laboratory's regulations and requirements to ensure that the laboratory fulfills its mission into the future, leaves the smallest possible legacy footprint, and models sustainable operations and behaviors on national, regional, and local levels. The report, per the GRI reporting format, elaborates on multi-year goals relative to executive orders, achievements, and challenges; and success stories provide specific examples. A section called 'Sustaining NREL'smore » Future Through Integration' provides insight into how NREL is successfully expanding the adoption of renewable energy technologies through integration.« less

78 FR 18954 - Incentives To Adopt Improved Cybersecurity Practices

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-28

... [Docket Number 130206115-3115-01] Incentives To Adopt Improved Cybersecurity Practices AGENCY: U.S... infrastructure and other interested entities of the Cybersecurity Framework being developed by the National... on the Internet Policy Task Force Web page at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/category/cybersecurity . For...

Adoption of Obesity Prevention Policies and Practices by Australian Primary Schools: 2006 to 2013

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nathan, N.; Wolfenden, L.; Williams, C. M.; Yoong, S. L.; Lecathelinais, C.; Bell, A. C.; Wyse, R.; Sutherland, R.; Wiggers, J.

2015-01-01

Despite significant investment in many countries, the extent of schools' adoption of obesity prevention policies and practices has not been widely reported. The aims of this article are to describe Australian schools' adoption of healthy eating and physical activity policies and practices over an 8-year period and to determine if their adoption…

Factors influencing the implementation, adoption, use, sustainability and scalability of eLearning for family medicine specialty training: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Cotič, Živa; Rees, Rebecca; Wark, Petra A; Car, Josip

2016-10-19

In 2013, there was a shortage of approximately 7.2 million health workers worldwide, which is larger among family physicians than among specialists. eLearning could provide a potential solution to some of these global workforce challenges. However, there is little evidence on factors facilitating or hindering implementation, adoption, use, scalability and sustainability of eLearning. This review aims to synthesise results from qualitative and mixed methods studies to provide insight on factors influencing implementation of eLearning for family medicine specialty education and training. Additionally, this review aims to identify the actions needed to increase effectiveness of eLearning and identify the strategies required to improve eLearning implementation, adoption, use, sustainability and scalability for family medicine speciality education and training. A systematic search will be conducted across a range of databases for qualitative studies focusing on experiences, barriers, facilitators, and other factors related to the implementation, adoption, use, sustainability and scalability of eLearning for family medicine specialty education and training. Studies will be synthesised by using the framework analysis approach. This study will contribute to the evaluation of eLearning implementation, adoption, use, sustainability and scalability for family medicine specialty training and education and the development of eLearning guidelines for postgraduate medical education. PROSPERO http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42016036449.

Impact of the HITECH financial incentives on EHR adoption in small, physician-owned practices.

PubMed

Cohen, Martin F

2016-10-01

Physicians in small physician-owned practices in the United States have been slower to adopt EHRs than physicians in large practices or practices owned by large organizations. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 included provisions intended to address many of the potential barriers to EHR adoption cited in the literature, including a financial incentives program that has paid physicians and other professionals $13 billion through December 2015. Given the range of factors that may be influencing physicians' decisions on whether to adopt an EHR, and given the level of HITECH expenditures to date, there is significant policy value in assessing whether the HITECH incentives have actually had an impact on EHR adoption decisions among U.S. physicians in small, physician-owned practices. This study addresses this question by analyzing physicians' own views on the influence of the HITECH incentives as well as other potential considerations in their decision-making on whether to adopt an EHR. Using data from a national survey of physicians, five composite scales were created from groups of survey items to reflect physician views on different potential facilitators and barriers for EHR adoption as of 2011, after the launch of the HITECH incentives program. Multinomial and binary logistic regression models were specified to test which of these physician-reported considerations have a significant relationship with EHR adoption status among 1043 physicians working in physician-owned practices with no more than 10 physicians. Physicians' views on the importance of the HITECH financial incentives are strongly associated with EHR adoption during the first three years of the HITECH period (2010-2012). In the study's primary model, a one-point increase on a three-point scale for physician-reported influence of the HITECH financial incentives increases the relative risk of being in the process of adoption in 2011, compared to the

Sustainable Transportation: Accelerating Widespread Adoption of Energy Efficient Vehicles & Fuels (Brochure)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

2014-12-01

While energy efficient transportation strategies have the potential to simultaneously slash oil consumption and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a truly sustainable solution will require more than just putting drivers behind the wheels of new fuel-efficient cars. As the only national laboratory dedicated 100% to renewable energy and energy efficiency, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) accelerates widespread adoption of high-performance, low-emission, energy-efficient passenger and freight vehicles, as well as alternative fuels and related infrastructure. Researchers collaborate closely with industry, government, and research partners, using a whole-systems approach to design better batteries, drivetrains, and engines, as well as thermal management,more » energy storage, power electronic, climate control, alternative fuel, combustion, and emission systems. NREL's sustainable transportation research, development, and deployment (RD&D) efforts are not limited to vehicles, roads, and fueling stations. The lab also explores ways to save energy and reduce GHGs by integrating transportation technology advancements with renewable energy generation, power grids and building systems, urban planning and policy, and fleet operations.« less

Sustaining school-based asthma interventions through policy and practice change.

PubMed

Carpenter, Laurie M; Lachance, Laurie; Wilkin, Margaret; Clark, Noreen M

2013-12-01

Schools are an ideal setting for implementation of asthma interventions for children; however, sustaining school-based programs can be challenging. This study illustrates policy and practice changes brought about through the Childhood Asthma Linkages in Missouri (CALM) program to sustain such programs. Researchers analyzed caregiver-reported quantitative data regarding asthma-related outcomes in preintervention and postintervention surveys and qualitative data regarding sustainability efforts in schools reported by CALM grantees. A grounded theory approach was used to identify key concepts and themes that emerged. In 330 children, significant improvements were seen in asthma symptoms, rescue inhaler use, health care utilization, school absenteeism, and activity limitations. Overall, 27 school-based policy and practice changes supporting program sustainability were reported, with policy changes most often concerning the assessment and/or monitoring of children with asthma in the school setting, and practice changes most often regarding institution of regular asthma education programs for students and school personnel. Sustaining school-based asthma programs is challenging, but can be realized through the participation of diverse partners in enacting policy and practice changes that support the institutionalization of programs into the day-to-day processes of the schools. © 2013, American School Health Association.

Consumer perceptions on sustainable practices implemented in foodservice organizations in Korea

PubMed Central

Ju, Seyoung

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Sustainable practices in foodservice organizations including commercial and noncommercial ones are critical to ensure the protection of the environment for the future. With the rapid growth of the foodservice industry, wiser usage of input sources such as food, utilities, and single use packaging should be reconsidered for future generations. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the customer's perceptions on sustainable practices and to identify the relationship among sustainable practices, social contribution and purchase intention. SUBJECTS/METHODS The study was conducted using content analyses by reviewing articles on sustainable food service practices published domestically and abroad. Thereafter, data were collected with a face-to-face survey using a questionnaire and analyzed with factor analyses and multiple regressions. RESULTS Sustainable practices classified with factor analysis consisted of 6 dimensions of green food material procurement, sustainable food preparation, green packaging, preservation of energy, waste management, and public relations on green activity, with a total of 25 green activities in foodservice operations. Consumers were not very familiar with the green activities implemented in the foodservice unit, with the lowest awareness of "green food material procurement (2.46 out of 5 points)", and the highest awareness of "green packaging (3.74)" and "waste management (3.28). The factors influencing the perception of social contribution by foodservice organizations among 6 sustainable practice dimensions were found to be public relations on green activity (β = 0.154), waste management (β = 0.204) and sustainable food preparation (β = 0.183). Green packaging (β = 0.107) and the social contribution of the foodservice organization (β = 0.761) had strong relationships with the image of the organization. The purchase intentions of customers was affected only by the foodservice image (β = 0.775). CONCLUSIONS The

Consumer perceptions on sustainable practices implemented in foodservice organizations in Korea.

PubMed

Ju, Seyoung; Chang, Hyeja

2016-02-01

Sustainable practices in foodservice organizations including commercial and noncommercial ones are critical to ensure the protection of the environment for the future. With the rapid growth of the foodservice industry, wiser usage of input sources such as food, utilities, and single use packaging should be reconsidered for future generations. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the customer's perceptions on sustainable practices and to identify the relationship among sustainable practices, social contribution and purchase intention. The study was conducted using content analyses by reviewing articles on sustainable food service practices published domestically and abroad. Thereafter, data were collected with a face-to-face survey using a questionnaire and analyzed with factor analyses and multiple regressions. Sustainable practices classified with factor analysis consisted of 6 dimensions of green food material procurement, sustainable food preparation, green packaging, preservation of energy, waste management, and public relations on green activity, with a total of 25 green activities in foodservice operations. Consumers were not very familiar with the green activities implemented in the foodservice unit, with the lowest awareness of "green food material procurement (2.46 out of 5 points)", and the highest awareness of "green packaging (3.74)" and "waste management (3.28). The factors influencing the perception of social contribution by foodservice organizations among 6 sustainable practice dimensions were found to be public relations on green activity (β = 0.154), waste management (β = 0.204) and sustainable food preparation (β = 0.183). Green packaging (β = 0.107) and the social contribution of the foodservice organization (β = 0.761) had strong relationships with the image of the organization. The purchase intentions of customers was affected only by the foodservice image (β = 0.775). The results of this study suggest that sustainable practices by

Random or predictable?: Adoption patterns of chronic care management practices in physician organizations.

PubMed

Miake-Lye, Isomi M; Chuang, Emmeline; Rodriguez, Hector P; Kominski, Gerald F; Yano, Elizabeth M; Shortell, Stephen M

2017-08-24

Theories, models, and frameworks used by implementation science, including Diffusion of Innovations, tend to focus on the adoption of one innovation, when often organizations may be facing multiple simultaneous adoption decisions. For instance, despite evidence that care management practices (CMPs) are helpful in managing chronic illness, there is still uneven adoption by physician organizations. This exploratory paper leverages this natural variation in uptake to describe inter-organizational patterns in adoption of CMPs and to better understand how adoption choices may be related to one another. We assessed a cross section of national survey data from physician organizations reporting on the use of 20 CMPs (5 each for asthma, congestive heart failure, depression, and diabetes). Item response theory was used to explore patterns in adoption, first considering all 20 CMPs together and then by subsets according to disease focus or CMP type (e.g., registries, patient reminders). Mokken scale analysis explored whether adoption choices were linked by disease focus or CMP type and whether a consistent ordering of adoption choices was present. The Mokken scale for all 20 CMPs demonstrated medium scalability (H = 0.43), but no consistent ordering. Scales for subsets of CMPs sharing a disease focus had medium scalability (0.4 < H < 0.5), while subsets sharing a CMP type had strong scalability (H > 0.5). Scales for CMP type consistently ranked diabetes CMPs as most adoptable and depression CMPs as least adoptable. Within disease focus scales, patient reminders were ranked as the most adoptable CMP, while clinician feedback and patient education were ranked the least adoptable. Patterns of adoption indicate that innovation characteristics may influence adoption. CMP dissemination efforts may be strengthened by encouraging traditionally non-adopting organizations to focus on more adoptable practices first and then describing a pathway for the adoption of subsequent

Adoption and sustained use of cleaner cooking fuels in rural India: a case control study protocol to understand household, network, and organizational drivers.

PubMed

Kumar, Praveen; Dhand, Amar; Tabak, Rachel G; Brownson, Ross C; Yadama, Gautam N

2017-01-01

Implementing efficient stoves and clean fuels in low and middle-income countries are critical for improving health of poor women and children and improve the environment. Cleaner biomass stoves, however, perform poorly against the World Health Organization's indoor air quality guidelines. This has shifted the focus to systematic dissemination and implementation of cleaner cooking systems such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) among poor communities. Even when there is some uptake of LPG by poor communities, its sustained use has been low. Concurrent use of LPG with traditional biomass cookstoves compromises reductions in household air pollution and limits health and environmental dividends. Therefore understanding key drivers of adoption and sustained implementation of clean fuels among the poor is critical. There is a significant gap, however, in the research to understand determinants and sustained exclusive use of clean fuels in rural poor communities. Using a case control study design, this study will explore the impact of affordability, accessibility, and awareness on adoption and sustained use of LPG among rural poor communities of India. The study uses a multistage random sampling to collect primary data from 510 households. Case group or LPG adopters constitute 255 households while control group or non-LPG adopters constitute the remaining 255 households. The study will deploy sophisticated stove use monitoring sensors in each of the stoves in 100 case group households to monitor stove use and stacking behavior (using clean and traditional systems of cooking) of participants for 12 months. Moreover, this will be the first study to explore the impact of personal social networks striated by gender on LPG adoption. This study is guided by the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) implementation science evaluation framework. Lessons from this study will feed into a larger discussion on developing a pro-poor strategy to foster

Organizational Dimensions of Innovative Practice: A Qualitative Investigation of the Processes Supporting Innovation Adoption in Outpatient Physical Therapy Practice.

PubMed

Sabus, Carla; Spake, Ellen

2018-01-01

The ability to innovate and adapt practice is a requirement of the progressive healthcare provider. Innovative practice by rehabilitation providers has largely been approached as personal professional development; this study extends that perspective by examining innovation uptake from the organizational level. The varied professions can be expected to have distinct qualities of innovation adoption that reflect professional norms, values, and expectations. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the organizational processes of innovation uptake in outpatient physical therapy practice. Through nomination, two outpatient, privately owned physical therapy clinics were identified as innovation practices. Eighteen physical therapists, three owners, and a manager participated in the study. The two clinics served as case studies within a grounded theory approach. Data were collected through observation, unstructured questioning, work flow analysis, focus group sessions, and artifact analysis. Data were analyzed and coded among the investigators. A theoretical model of the innovation adoption process in outpatient physical therapy practice was developed. Elements of the model included (1) change grounded in relationship-centered care, (2) clinic readiness to accept change, and (3) clinic adaptability and resilience. A social paradigm of innovation adoption informed through this research complements the concentration on personal professional development.

Farmer's Incentives for Adoption of Recommended Farm Practices in Wheat Crop in Aligarh Intensive Agricultural District, India.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vidyarthy, Gopal Saran

This study was undertaken to identify farmer incentives that led them to adopt wheat crop practices in Aligarh Intensive Agricultural District Program: the association between the farmer's characteristics and adoption groups; the incentives that lead the farmers to adopt recommended wheat crop practices; relationship between identified incentives…

Forest Tenure Systems and Sustainable Forest Management: The Case of Ghana

Treesearch

Charles E. Owubah; Dennis C. Le Master; J. Michael Bowker; John G. Lee

2001-01-01

Adoption and implementation of sustainable forestry practices are essential for sustaining forest resources, yet development of effective policies and strategies to achieve them are problematic. Part of the difficulty stems from a limited understanding of the interaction between obtrusive forest policies and indigenous tenure systems and how this affects sustainable...

Assessing the trend in sustainable remediation: A questionnaire survey of remediation professionals in various countries.

PubMed

Hou, Deyi; Guthrie, Peter; Rigby, Mark

2016-12-15

Over the past decade, sustainable remediation has grown from an emerging concept into a widely accepted new institutional norm. Scholar literature increased exponentially from nearly none in late 1990s to over 400 publications per year in 2014. The present study used a questionnaire survey conducted in 2012 and 2014 to assess the global trend in the awareness and practice of sustainable remediation. A total of 373 responses were received from survey participants located in 22 countries. The survey found that the US and the UK similarly had the highest level of awareness and adoption rate of sustainable remediation. Asia and other developing countries had much lower awareness levels and/or adoption rates. For all regions, the adoption rates were significantly lower than awareness levels, indicating a large gap between awareness and practice. One specific example is regarding minimizing greenhouse gas emission, which is a focal point in sustainable remediation literature, but with very low adoption rate according to this survey. This study also found that the adoption rates of a few sustainable remediation considerations, such as "minimizing local scale secondary impact", "minimizing national to global scale secondary impact", and "bringing prosperity to disadvantaged community", had decreased between 2012 and 2014. On the other hand, the survey also suggests the remediation community has rendered more expertise, training, and resources in sustainable remediation between 2012 and 2014. The mixed results suggest that in order to enhance sustainable remediation adoption, it is imperative to employ continued effort to enhance the understanding of sustainable remediation by practitioners and to link self-interest and public interest with sustainable remediation considerations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measuring farm sustainability using data envelope analysis with principal components: the case of Wisconsin cranberry.

PubMed

Dong, Fengxia; Mitchell, Paul D; Colquhoun, Jed

2015-01-01

Measuring farm sustainability performance is a crucial component for improving agricultural sustainability. While extensive assessments and indicators exist that reflect the different facets of agricultural sustainability, because of the relatively large number of measures and interactions among them, a composite indicator that integrates and aggregates over all variables is particularly useful. This paper describes and empirically evaluates a method for constructing a composite sustainability indicator that individually scores and ranks farm sustainability performance. The method first uses non-negative polychoric principal component analysis to reduce the number of variables, to remove correlation among variables and to transform categorical variables to continuous variables. Next the method applies common-weight data envelope analysis to these principal components to individually score each farm. The method solves weights endogenously and allows identifying important practices in sustainability evaluation. An empirical application to Wisconsin cranberry farms finds heterogeneity in sustainability practice adoption, implying that some farms could adopt relevant practices to improve the overall sustainability performance of the industry. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

College Students' View of Biotechnology Products and Practices in Sustainable Agriculture Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, William A.

2008-01-01

Sustainable agriculture implies the use of products and practices that sustain production, protect the environment, ensure economic viability, and maintain rural community viability. Disagreement exists as to whether or not the products and practices of modern biotechnological support agricultural sustainability. The purpose of this study was to…

Sustainable practice change: Professionals' experiences with a multisectoral child health promotion programme in Sweden

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background New methods for prevention and health promotion and are constantly evolving; however, positive outcomes will only emerge if these methods are fully adopted and sustainable in practice. To date, limited attention has been given to sustainability of health promotion efforts. This study aimed to explore facilitators, barriers, and requirements for sustainability as experienced by professionals two years after finalizing the development and implementation of a multisectoral child health promotion programme in Sweden (the Salut programme). Initiated in 2005, the programme uses a 'Salutogenesis' approach to support health-promoting activities in health care, social services, and schools. Methods All professionals involved in the Salut Programme's pilot areas were interviewed between May and September 2009, approximately two years after the intervention package was established and implemented. Participants (n = 23) were midwives, child health nurses, dental hygienists/dental nurses, and pre-school teachers. Transcribed data underwent qualitative content analysis to illuminate perceived facilitators, barriers, and requirements for programme sustainability. Results The programme was described as sustainable at most sites, except in child health care. The perception of facilitators, barriers, and requirements were largely shared across sectors. Facilitators included being actively involved in intervention development and small-scale testing, personal values corresponding to programme intentions, regular meetings, working close with collaborators, using manuals and a clear programme branding. Existing or potential barriers included insufficient managerial involvement and support and perceived constraints regarding time and resources. In dental health care, barriers also included conflicting incentives for performance. Many facilitators and barriers identified by participants also reflected their perceptions of more general and forthcoming requirements for programme

Defining sustainable practice in community-based health promotion: a Delphi study of practitioner perspectives.

PubMed

Harris, Neil; Sandor, Maria

2013-04-01

Sustainability of practice must be a central imperative in the practice of community-based health promotion to achieve population health and attract a greater share of public health spending. Although there has been some consideration of sustainability at the project or program levels, often understood as intervention longevity, very limited attention has been given to understanding sustainable practice. The present study develops a definition and features of sustainable practice in community-based health promotion through a Delphi method with health promotion practitioners in Queensland, Australia. The study presents a consensus definition and features of sustainable practice. The definition highlights the importance of collaboration, health determinants and aspirations, processes and outcomes. The four features of sustainable practice identified in the study are: (1) effective relationships and partnerships; (2) evidence-based decision making and practice; (3) emphasis on building community capacity; and (4) supportive context for practice. The definition and features are, to a large extent, consistent with the limited literature around sustainability at the project and program levels of health promotion. Together, they provide insight into a form of community-based health promotion that will be both viable and productive. So what? This consensus understanding of sustainable practice articulates the foundations of working effectively with local communities in achieving improved population health within global limits.

Routines for change: how managers can use absorptive capacity to adopt and implement evidence-based practice.

PubMed

Innis, Jennifer; Berta, Whitney

2016-09-01

This paper uses the construct of absorptive capacity to understand how nurse managers can facilitate the adoption and use of evidence-based practice within health-care organisations. How health-care organisations adopt and implement innovations such as new evidence-based practices will depend on their absorptive, or learning, capacity. Absorptive capacity manifests as routines, which are the practices, procedures and customs that organisational members use to carry out work and to make work-related decisions. Using the construct of absorptive capacity as well as a recent literature review of how health-care organisations take on best practices, we illustrate how the uptake and use of new knowledge, such as evidence-based practices, can be facilitated through the use of routines. This paper highlights routines that nurse managers can use to foster environments where evidence-based practices can be readily identified, and strategies for facilitating their adoption and implementation. The construct of absorptive capacity and the use of routines can be used to examine the ways in which nurse managers can adopt, implement and evaluate the use of evidence-based practices. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

"Situatedness" and Variations in Student Adoption of Technology Practices: Towards a Critical Techno-Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neufeld, Philip G.; Delcore, Henry D.

2018-01-01

Aim/Purpose: The effective adoption of an ICT across every segment of the student population may occur where the design, implementation and supports recognize and adjust for variations in adoption practices across the student population and the situatedness of the promoted ICT adoption. The goal of this study was to demonstrate methods to…

Health information technology adoption in New Zealand optometric practices.

PubMed

Heidarian, Ahmadali; Mason, David

2013-11-01

Health information technology (HIT) has the potential to fundamentally change the practice of optometry and the relationship between optometrists and patients and to improve clinical outcomes. This paper aims to provide data on how health information technology is currently being used in New Zealand optometric practices. Also this paper aims to explore the potential benefits and barriers to the future adoption of health information technology in New Zealand. One hundred and six New Zealand optometrists were surveyed about their current use of health information technology and about potential benefits and barriers. In addition, 12 semi-structured interviews were carried out with leaders of health information technology in New Zealand optometry. The areas of interest were the current and intended use of HIT, the potential benefits of and barriers to using HIT in optometric offices and the level of investment in health information technology. Nearly all optometrists (98.7 per cent) in New Zealand use computers in their practices and 93.4 per cent of them use a computer in their consulting room. The most commonly used clinical assessment technology in optometric practices in New Zealand was automated perimeter (97.1 per cent), followed by a digital fundus/retinal camera (82.6 per cent) and automated lensometer (62.9 per cent). The pachymeter is the technology that most respondents intended to purchase in the next one to five years (42.6 per cent), followed by a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (36.8 per cent) and corneal topographer (32.9 per cent). The main benefits of using health information technology in optometric practices were improving patient perceptions of ‘state of the art’ practice and providing patients with information and digital images to explain the results of assessment. Barriers to the adoption of HIT included the need for frequent technology upgrades, cost, lack of time for implementation, and training. New Zealand optometrists are using HIT

Adoption of Requirements Engineering Practices in Malaysian Software Development Companies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solemon, Badariah; Sahibuddin, Shamsul; Ghani, Abdul Azim Abd

This paper presents exploratory survey results on Requirements Engineering (RE) practices of some software development companies in Malaysia. The survey attempted to identify patterns of RE practices the companies are implementing. Information required for the survey was obtained through a survey, mailed self-administered questionnaires distributed to project managers and software developers who are working at software development companies operated across the country. The results showed that the overall adoption of the RE practices in these companies is strong. However, the results also indicated that fewer companies in the survey have use appropriate CASE tools or software to support their RE process and practices, define traceability policies and maintain traceability manual in their projects.

Multi-criteria decision support framework for sustainable implementation of effective green supply chain management practices.

PubMed

Boutkhoum, Omar; Hanine, Mohamed; Boukhriss, Hicham; Agouti, Tarik; Tikniouine, Abdessadek

2016-01-01

At present, environmental issues become real critical barriers for many supply chain corporations concerning the sustainability of their businesses. In this context, several studies have been proposed from both academia and industry trying to develop new measurements related to green supply chain management (GSCM) practices to overcome these barriers, which will help create new environmental strategies, implementing those practices in their manufacturing processes. The objective of this study is to present the technical and analytical contribution that multi-criteria decision making analysis (MCDA) can bring to environmental decision making problems, and especially to GSCM field. For this reason, a multi-criteria decision-making methodology, combining fuzzy analytical hierarchy process and fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (fuzzy TOPSIS), is proposed to contribute to a better understanding of new sustainable strategies through the identification and evaluation of the most appropriate GSCM practices to be adopted by industrial organizations. The fuzzy AHP process is used to construct hierarchies of the influential criteria, and then identify the importance weights of the selected criteria, while the fuzzy TOPSIS process employs these weighted criteria as inputs to evaluate and measure the performance of each alternative. To illustrate the effectiveness and performance of our MCDA approach, we have applied it to a chemical industry corporation located in Safi, Morocco.

Implementing the IT Infrastructure for Health Reform: Adoption of Health IT among Patient-Centered Medical Home Practices

PubMed Central

Adler-Milstein, Julia; Cohen, Genna R.

2013-01-01

While health IT is thought to be critical to the success of new models of care delivery, we know little about the extent to which those pursuing these models are relying on HIT. We studied a large patient-centered medical home (PCMH) demonstration project, a new model of care delivery that has received substantial policy attention, in order to assess which types of HIT were most widely used, and how adoption rates changed over time as PCMH practices matured. We found that clinically-focused HIT tools were both widely adopted, and increasingly adopted, in PCMH practices compared to non-PCMH practices. In contrast, HIT that supports patient-engagement, patient portals and personal health records, was neither in widespread use nor more likely to be adopted over time by PCMH practices compared to other practices. This suggests that these tools may not yet support the types of patient engagement and interactions that PCMH practices seek. PMID:24551318

Adopting a Sustainable Community of Practice Model when Developing a Service to Support Patients with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB): A Stakeholder-Centered Approach.

PubMed

Gowran, Rosemary Joan; Kennan, Avril; Marshall, Siobhán; Mulcahy, Irene; Ní Mhaille, Sile; Beasley, Sarah; Devlin, Mark

2015-02-01

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare, genetic skin condition that is complicated, distressing, and painful and permeates every aspect of patients' lives. Support services are essential for meeting the primary needs of patients and families living with EB; however, provision is challenged by many complex issues. In collaboration with the patient organization DEBRA Ireland, this research conducted an in-depth analysis of Irish healthcare support services for EB, with a view to moving towards an improved and sustainable care pathway. A sustainable community of practice model (SCOP), as a core construct provided a simplified framework when studying this complex system. The research utilized mixed methods, comprising individual interviews, questionnaires, and a participatory action research workshop based on a soft systems approach. The study engaged patients, family members, service providers, and policy developers. Findings emphasized that the complexities of life with EB are more than 'skin deep'. The lived experience of stakeholders revealed many levels of emotion, both positive and heart-rending. Despite the positive efforts of specialists in this field, inadequacies to meet the primary needs of people with EB, such as bandages-fundamental for survival-were highlighted. Participants reported challenges relating to understanding patients' needs, access to consistent services within hospitals and the community, time constraints, and the strong emotions evoked by this severe and rare disease. The study identified several areas that can be targeted to bring about improvements in meeting primary needs. Education and research at public, policy, and practice levels need to be prioritized. It is imperative that citizens move beyond an awareness that EB exists and demonstrate a consciousness about the importance of advocating and enabling seamless and sustainable support services through collective action.

Supervision--growing and building a sustainable general practice supervisor system.

PubMed

Thomson, Jennifer S; Anderson, Katrina J; Mara, Paul R; Stevenson, Alexander D

2011-06-06

This article explores various models and ideas for future sustainable general practice vocational training supervision in Australia. The general practitioner supervisor in the clinical practice setting is currently central to training the future general practice workforce. Finding ways to recruit, retain and motivate both new and experienced GP teachers is discussed, as is the creation of career paths for such teachers. Some of the newer methods of practice-based teaching are considered for further development, including vertically integrated teaching, e-learning, wave consulting and teaching on the run, teaching teams and remote teaching. Approaches to supporting and resourcing teaching and the required infrastructure are also considered. Further research into sustaining the practice-based general practice supervision model will be required.

Innovation adoption: a review of theories and constructs.

PubMed

Wisdom, Jennifer P; Chor, Ka Ho Brian; Hoagwood, Kimberly E; Horwitz, Sarah M

2014-07-01

Many theoretical frameworks seek to describe the dynamic process of the implementation of innovations. Little is known, however, about factors related to decisions to adopt innovations and how the likelihood of adoption of innovations can be increased. Using a narrative synthesis approach, this paper compared constructs theorized to be related to adoption of innovations proposed in existing theoretical frameworks in order to identify characteristics likely to increase adoption of innovations. The overall goal was to identify elements across adoption frameworks that are potentially modifiable and, thus, might be employed to improve the adoption of evidence-based practices. The review identified 20 theoretical frameworks that could be grouped into two broad categories: theories that mainly address the adoption process (N = 10) and theories that address adoption within the context of implementation, diffusion, dissemination, and/or sustainability (N = 10). Constructs of leadership, operational size and structure, innovation fit with norms and values, and attitudes/motivation toward innovations each are mentioned in at least half of the theories, though there were no consistent definitions of measures for these constructs. A lack of precise definitions and measurement of constructs suggests further work is needed to increase our understanding of adoption of innovations.

Environmental Sustainability Practices in Selected Publicly Supported Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Posey, Michael J.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this mixed methods research study was to examine the environmental sustainability practices used at publicly supported community, junior, and technical college campuses in the eleven states accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges. The Sustainability Assessment Questionnaire was emailed…

Clean fuels for resource-poor settings: A systematic review of barriers and enablers to adoption and sustained use.

PubMed

Puzzolo, Elisa; Pope, Daniel; Stanistreet, Debbi; Rehfuess, Eva A; Bruce, Nigel G

2016-04-01

Access to, and sustained adoption of, clean household fuels at scale remains an aspirational goal to achieve sufficient reductions in household air pollution (HAP) in order to impact on the substantial global health burden caused by reliance on solid fuels. To systematically appraise the current evidence base to identify: (i) which factors enable or limit adoption and sustained use of clean fuels (namely liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), biogas, solar cooking and alcohol fuels) in low- and middle-income countries; (ii) lessons learnt concerning equitable scaling-up of programmes of cleaner cooking fuels in relation to poverty, urban-rural settings and gender. A mixed-methods systematic review was conducted using established review methodology and extensive searches of published and grey literature sources. Data extraction and quality appraisal of quantitative, qualitative and case studies meeting inclusion criteria were conducted using standardised methods with reliability checking. Forty-four studies from Africa, Asia and Latin America met the inclusion criteria (17 on biogas, 12 on LPG, 9 on solar, 6 on alcohol fuels). A broad range of inter-related enabling and limiting factors were identified for all four types of intervention, operating across seven pre-specified domains (i.e. fuel and technology characteristics, household and setting characteristics, knowledge and perceptions, financial, tax and subsidy aspects, market development, regulation, legislation and standards, and programme and policy mechanisms) and multiple levels (i.e. household, community, national). All domains matter and the majority of factors are common to all clean fuels interventions reviewed although some are fuel and technology-specific. All factors should therefore be taken into account and carefully assessed during planning and implementation of any small- and large-scale initiative aiming at promoting clean fuels for household cooking. Despite limitations in quantity and quality of the

Top 10 metrics for life science software good practices.

PubMed

Artaza, Haydee; Chue Hong, Neil; Corpas, Manuel; Corpuz, Angel; Hooft, Rob; Jimenez, Rafael C; Leskošek, Brane; Olivier, Brett G; Stourac, Jan; Svobodová Vařeková, Radka; Van Parys, Thomas; Vaughan, Daniel

2016-01-01

Metrics for assessing adoption of good development practices are a useful way to ensure that software is sustainable, reusable and functional. Sustainability means that the software used today will be available - and continue to be improved and supported - in the future. We report here an initial set of metrics that measure good practices in software development. This initiative differs from previously developed efforts in being a community-driven grassroots approach where experts from different organisations propose good software practices that have reasonable potential to be adopted by the communities they represent. We not only focus our efforts on understanding and prioritising good practices, we assess their feasibility for implementation and publish them here.

Top 10 metrics for life science software good practices

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Metrics for assessing adoption of good development practices are a useful way to ensure that software is sustainable, reusable and functional. Sustainability means that the software used today will be available - and continue to be improved and supported - in the future. We report here an initial set of metrics that measure good practices in software development. This initiative differs from previously developed efforts in being a community-driven grassroots approach where experts from different organisations propose good software practices that have reasonable potential to be adopted by the communities they represent. We not only focus our efforts on understanding and prioritising good practices, we assess their feasibility for implementation and publish them here. PMID:27635232

Adopting Health Behavior Change Theory throughout the Clinical Practice Guideline Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ceccato, Natalie E.; Ferris, Lorraine E.; Manuel, Douglas; Grimshaw, Jeremy M.

2007-01-01

Adopting a theoretical framework throughout the clinical practice guideline (CPG) process (development, dissemination, implementation, and evaluation) can be useful in systematically identifying, addressing, and explaining behavioral influences impacting CPG uptake and effectiveness. This article argues that using a theoretical framework should…

Towards sustainable parasite control practices in livestock production with emphasis in Latin America.

PubMed

Henrioud, A Nari

2011-08-04

Endo and ectoparasites of domestic ruminants directly or indirectly contribute to reduce sustainability affecting food security in subsistence or small scale farming systems, food safety (food borne diseases and pesticide residues), environment (pesticides, pollution and ecotoxicity) and farmer's equity (limited or uneven access to relevant technical information/training). This is especially true for some regions of Latin America where there still are huge areas of natural grazing land for cattle, sheep and goats. Sustainable parasite control is not an absolute concept given the different regions and productive systems of the world and therefore, could have different levels of adoption and impact on farmers. This article develops a conceptual framework to better understand where each region or country is situated in terms of attaining a reasonable increase in animal production while preserving sustainability. Within this context the capacity to prioritize the target parasite species for control according to local epidemiology and production systems, the early diagnosis and monitoring of parasite resistance as well as the availability of well trained field professionals acquire a major role, creating an enabling environment for present and future decision support system approaches. Until new and different means of controlling parasites become available; the challenge is to utilize Good Animal Husbandry Practices and Integrated Parasite Management (IPM) principles in a pragmatic way allowing the rational use of pesticides. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Affording Sustainability: Adopting a Theory of Affordances as a Guiding Heuristic for Environmental Policy.

PubMed

Kaaronen, Roope O

2017-01-01

Human behavior is an underlying cause for many of the ecological crises faced in the 21st century, and there is no escaping from the fact that widespread behavior change is necessary for socio-ecological systems to take a sustainable turn. Whilst making people and communities behave sustainably is a fundamental objective for environmental policy, behavior change interventions and policies are often implemented from a very limited non-systemic perspective. Environmental policy-makers and psychologists alike often reduce cognition 'to the brain,' focusing only to a minor extent on how everyday environments systemically afford pro-environmental behavior. Symptomatic of this are the widely prevalent attitude-action, value-action or knowledge-action gaps, understood in this paper as the gulfs lying between sustainable thinking and behavior due to lack of affordances. I suggest that by adopting a theory of affordances as a guiding heuristic, environmental policy-makers are better equipped to promote policies that translate sustainable thinking into sustainable behavior, often self-reinforcingly, and have better conceptual tools to nudge our socio-ecological system toward a sustainable turn. Affordance theory, which studies the relations between abilities to perceive and act and environmental features, is shown to provide a systemic framework for analyzing environmental policies and the ecology of human behavior. This facilitates the location and activation of leverage points for systemic policy interventions, which can help socio-ecological systems to learn to adapt to more sustainable habits. Affordance theory is presented to be applicable and pertinent to technically all nested levels of socio-ecological systems from the studies of sustainable objects and households to sustainable urban environments, making it an immensely versatile conceptual policy tool. Finally, affordance theory is also discussed from a participatory perspective. Increasing the fit between local

Affording Sustainability: Adopting a Theory of Affordances as a Guiding Heuristic for Environmental Policy

PubMed Central

Kaaronen, Roope O.

2017-01-01

Human behavior is an underlying cause for many of the ecological crises faced in the 21st century, and there is no escaping from the fact that widespread behavior change is necessary for socio-ecological systems to take a sustainable turn. Whilst making people and communities behave sustainably is a fundamental objective for environmental policy, behavior change interventions and policies are often implemented from a very limited non-systemic perspective. Environmental policy-makers and psychologists alike often reduce cognition ‘to the brain,’ focusing only to a minor extent on how everyday environments systemically afford pro-environmental behavior. Symptomatic of this are the widely prevalent attitude–action, value–action or knowledge–action gaps, understood in this paper as the gulfs lying between sustainable thinking and behavior due to lack of affordances. I suggest that by adopting a theory of affordances as a guiding heuristic, environmental policy-makers are better equipped to promote policies that translate sustainable thinking into sustainable behavior, often self-reinforcingly, and have better conceptual tools to nudge our socio–ecological system toward a sustainable turn. Affordance theory, which studies the relations between abilities to perceive and act and environmental features, is shown to provide a systemic framework for analyzing environmental policies and the ecology of human behavior. This facilitates the location and activation of leverage points for systemic policy interventions, which can help socio–ecological systems to learn to adapt to more sustainable habits. Affordance theory is presented to be applicable and pertinent to technically all nested levels of socio–ecological systems from the studies of sustainable objects and households to sustainable urban environments, making it an immensely versatile conceptual policy tool. Finally, affordance theory is also discussed from a participatory perspective. Increasing the fit

The experience of Australian project leaders in encouraging practitioners to adopt research evidence in their clinical practice.

PubMed

Henderson, Amanda J; Davies, Jan; Willet, Michaela R

2006-11-01

This paper describes a qualitative program evaluation which sought to identify factors that either assist or impede the adoption of clinical evidence in everyday practice. Thirteen Australian projects were funded in a competitive grant program to adopt innovative strategies to improve the uptake of research evidence in everyday clinical practice. Project leaders' reports were analysed to collate common themes related to 1) critical elements in successful application of research knowledge, 2) barriers to implementing evidence, and 3) lessons for other organisations that might implement a similar project. Despite the diversity of the methods used to establish projects and the range of topics and clinical settings, many similarities were identified in the perceived critical success elements, barriers, and lessons for adopting clinical evidence. Eighteen themes emerged across the data including: leadership support; key stakeholder involvement; practice changes; communication; resources; education of staff; evaluation of outcomes; consumers; knowledge gaps; adoption/implementing staff; access to knowledge; risk assessment; collaboration; effectiveness of clinical research evidence; structure/organisation; cultural barriers; previous experiences; and information technology. Leaders of projects to adopt evidence in clinical practice identified barriers, critical success elements and lessons that impacted on their projects. A range of influences on the adoption of evidence were identified, and this knowledge can be used to assist others undertaking similar projects.

Sustainability as an Ethical Principle: Ensuring Its Systematic Place in Professional Nursing Practice

PubMed Central

Riedel, Annette

2015-01-01

Alongside the central focus on the persons requiring nursing care in professional nursing practice, the perspective of the sustainability of interventions and the use of materials (for example, nursing aids and hygiene articles) is gaining prominence in nursing decision-making processes. This contribution makes the principle of sustainability concrete and delineates its importance in the context of professional nursing practice and decision-making. It further suggests the development of an ethical policy in order to systematically ensure that sustainability has a place in ethical reflection and decision-making, and describes the elements involved. Finally, a synthesis is made between the importance of the principle of sustainability, suggested ethical policies (system of ethical reflection) as they affect nursing practice and professional reflection, decision-making, and practice. PMID:27417590

Sustainability as an Ethical Principle: Ensuring Its Systematic Place in Professional Nursing Practice.

PubMed

Riedel, Annette

2015-12-30

Alongside the central focus on the persons requiring nursing care in professional nursing practice, the perspective of the sustainability of interventions and the use of materials (for example, nursing aids and hygiene articles) is gaining prominence in nursing decision-making processes. This contribution makes the principle of sustainability concrete and delineates its importance in the context of professional nursing practice and decision-making. It further suggests the development of an ethical policy in order to systematically ensure that sustainability has a place in ethical reflection and decision-making, and describes the elements involved. Finally, a synthesis is made between the importance of the principle of sustainability, suggested ethical policies (system of ethical reflection) as they affect nursing practice and professional reflection, decision-making, and practice.

Nursing unit leaders' influence on the long-term sustainability of evidence-based practice improvements.

PubMed

Fleiszer, Andrea R; Semenic, Sonia E; Ritchie, Judith A; Richer, Marie-Claire; Denis, Jean-Louis

2016-04-01

To describe how actions of nursing unit leaders influenced the long-term sustainability of a best practice guidelines (BPG) program on inpatient units. Several factors influence the initial implementation of evidence-based practice improvements in nursing, with leadership recognized as essential. However, there is limited knowledge about enduring change, including how frontline nursing leaders influence the sustainability of practice improvements over the long term. A qualitative descriptive case study included 39 in-depth interviews, observations, and document reviews. Four embedded nursing unit subcases had differing levels of program sustainability at 7 years (average) following implementation. Higher levels of BPG sustainability occurred on units where formal leadership teams used an integrated set of strategies and activities. Two key strategies were maintaining priorities and reinforcing expectations. The coordinated use of six activities (e.g., discussing, evaluating, integrating) promoted the continuation of BPG practices among staff. These leadership processes, fostering exchange and learning, contributed to sustainability-promoting environments characterized by teamwork and accountability. Unit leaders are required to strategically orchestrate several overlapping and synergistic efforts to achieve long-term sustainability of BPG-based practice improvements. As part of managing overall unit performance, unit leaders may influence practice improvement sustainability by aligning vision, strategies, and activities. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Four simple recommendations to encourage best practices in research software

PubMed Central

Jiménez, Rafael C.; Kuzak, Mateusz; Alhamdoosh, Monther; Barker, Michelle; Batut, Bérénice; Borg, Mikael; Capella-Gutierrez, Salvador; Chue Hong, Neil; Cook, Martin; Corpas, Manuel; Flannery, Madison; Garcia, Leyla; Gelpí, Josep Ll.; Gladman, Simon; Goble, Carole; González Ferreiro, Montserrat; Gonzalez-Beltran, Alejandra; Griffin, Philippa C.; Grüning, Björn; Hagberg, Jonas; Holub, Petr; Hooft, Rob; Ison, Jon; Katz, Daniel S.; Leskošek, Brane; López Gómez, Federico; Oliveira, Luis J.; Mellor, David; Mosbergen, Rowland; Mulder, Nicola; Perez-Riverol, Yasset; Pergl, Robert; Pichler, Horst; Pope, Bernard; Sanz, Ferran; Schneider, Maria V.; Stodden, Victoria; Suchecki, Radosław; Svobodová Vařeková, Radka; Talvik, Harry-Anton; Todorov, Ilian; Treloar, Andrew; Tyagi, Sonika; van Gompel, Maarten; Vaughan, Daniel; Via, Allegra; Wang, Xiaochuan; Watson-Haigh, Nathan S.; Crouch, Steve

2017-01-01

Scientific research relies on computer software, yet software is not always developed following practices that ensure its quality and sustainability. This manuscript does not aim to propose new software development best practices, but rather to provide simple recommendations that encourage the adoption of existing best practices. Software development best practices promote better quality software, and better quality software improves the reproducibility and reusability of research. These recommendations are designed around Open Source values, and provide practical suggestions that contribute to making research software and its source code more discoverable, reusable and transparent. This manuscript is aimed at developers, but also at organisations, projects, journals and funders that can increase the quality and sustainability of research software by encouraging the adoption of these recommendations. PMID:28751965

Four simple recommendations to encourage best practices in research software.

PubMed

Jiménez, Rafael C; Kuzak, Mateusz; Alhamdoosh, Monther; Barker, Michelle; Batut, Bérénice; Borg, Mikael; Capella-Gutierrez, Salvador; Chue Hong, Neil; Cook, Martin; Corpas, Manuel; Flannery, Madison; Garcia, Leyla; Gelpí, Josep Ll; Gladman, Simon; Goble, Carole; González Ferreiro, Montserrat; Gonzalez-Beltran, Alejandra; Griffin, Philippa C; Grüning, Björn; Hagberg, Jonas; Holub, Petr; Hooft, Rob; Ison, Jon; Katz, Daniel S; Leskošek, Brane; López Gómez, Federico; Oliveira, Luis J; Mellor, David; Mosbergen, Rowland; Mulder, Nicola; Perez-Riverol, Yasset; Pergl, Robert; Pichler, Horst; Pope, Bernard; Sanz, Ferran; Schneider, Maria V; Stodden, Victoria; Suchecki, Radosław; Svobodová Vařeková, Radka; Talvik, Harry-Anton; Todorov, Ilian; Treloar, Andrew; Tyagi, Sonika; van Gompel, Maarten; Vaughan, Daniel; Via, Allegra; Wang, Xiaochuan; Watson-Haigh, Nathan S; Crouch, Steve

2017-01-01

Scientific research relies on computer software, yet software is not always developed following practices that ensure its quality and sustainability. This manuscript does not aim to propose new software development best practices, but rather to provide simple recommendations that encourage the adoption of existing best practices. Software development best practices promote better quality software, and better quality software improves the reproducibility and reusability of research. These recommendations are designed around Open Source values, and provide practical suggestions that contribute to making research software and its source code more discoverable, reusable and transparent. This manuscript is aimed at developers, but also at organisations, projects, journals and funders that can increase the quality and sustainability of research software by encouraging the adoption of these recommendations.

Greener on the Other Side: Cultivating Community and Improvement through Sustainability Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sterrett, William L.; Kensler, Lisa; McKey, Tania

2016-01-01

Sustainability practices that lead to greener schools are often overlooked in leadership preparation programs and in school improvement efforts. An urban middle school principal recognizes the potential to build community, foster a healthy learning environment, and redefine her school through focusing on sustainability practices in a collaborative…

Is Sustainable Remediation Now a Self-Sustaining Process? an International Progress Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, J. W. N.

2014-12-01

Sustainable remediation - the consideration of environmental, social and economic factors associated with soil and groundwater risk-management options, to help select the best overall solution - has been a rapidly evolving topic in recent years. The first published reference[1] to 'sustainable remediation' was in the title of a 1999 conference paper by Kearney et al., (1999), but activity really accelerated in the middle-late 2000's, with establishment of a number of collaborative sustainable remediation groups and fora, and increased publication rates in the peer reviewed literature (Fig 1). Figure 1. Journal paper publications with search term 'sustainable remediation' (SCOPUS survey, 17 July 2014) This presentation will review the international progress of sustainable remediation concept development and application in regulatory and corporate decision-making processes. It will look back at what has already been achieved, provide an update on the latest initiatives and developments, and look forward to what the future of sustainable remediation might look like. Specifically it will describe: Sustainable remediation frameworks: synergies and international collaboration; Latest guidance and tools developed by the various sustainable remediation organisations (SuRFs), including the SuRF-UK Best Management Practices and Tier 1 Briefcase; Best practice standard development by ASTM and ISO; Regulatory acceptance of sustainable remediation, including incorporation into legislation, and the NICOLE - Common Forum Joint statement on 'risk-informed and sustainable remediation' in Europe; Examples of corporate adoption of sustainable remediation principles. The presentation will conclude with a look forward to a vision of sustainable remediation in 2020.

A call for sustainable practice in occupational therapy.

PubMed

Dennis, Carole W; Dorsey, Julie A; Gitlow, Lynn

2015-06-01

The ability of the earth to sustain health among humans and in the natural world is under threat from overpopulation, environmental degradation, and climate change. These global threats are anticipated to harm health and human occupation in many direct and indirect ways. Strategies are needed to mitigate the effects of these threats and to build individual and community capacities to foster resilience. This paper links issues of sustainability with occupational therapy philosophy and discusses how employing a sustainability lens with professional reasoning can help practitioners integrate sustainability into their practice. Human occupation is inseparable from the environments in which people live. Human occupation has caused the current environmental crisis, and targeted human action is required to safeguard future health and well-being. Occupational therapists have an ethical obligation to use professional reasoning strategies that, taken collectively, can help to build a sustainable and resilient future.

Innovation Adoption: A Review of Theories and Constructs

PubMed Central

Chor, Ka Ho Brian; Hoagwood, Kimberly E.; Horwitz, Sarah M.

2013-01-01

Many theoretical frameworks seek to describe the dynamic process of the implementation of innovations. Little is known, however, about factors related to decisions to adopt innovations and how the likelihood of adoption of innovations can be increased. Using a narrative synthesis approach, this paper compared constructs theorized to be related to adoption of innovations proposed in existing theoretical frameworks in order to identify characteristics likely to increase adoption of innovations. The overall goal was to identify elements across adoption frameworks that are potentially modifiable and, thus, might be employed to improve the adoption of evidence-based practices. The review identified 20 theoretical frameworks that could be grouped into two broad categories: theories that mainly address the adoption process (N = 10) and theories that address adoption within the context of implementation, diffusion, dissemination, and/or sustainability (N = 10). Constructs of leadership, operational size and structure, innovation fit with norms and values, and attitudes/motivation toward innovations each are mentioned in at least half of the theories, though there were no consistent definitions of measures for these constructs. A lack of precise definitions and measurement of constructs suggests further work is needed to increase our understanding of adoption of innovations. PMID:23549911

An examination of the sustainable adoption of whole-person care (WPC).

PubMed

Joseph, M Lindell; Laughon, Debbie; Bogue, Richard J

2011-11-01

This study illustrates how King's theory of goal attainment was used to focus an examination of whole-person care (WPC) and to extend the range of knowledge needed for WPC and nursing practice. Leadership implemented a faith-based innovation using continuing education for patient care that incorporates body-mind-spirit and eight principles called CREATION. Three questions arose: (1) Is there an evidence-based framework to determine whether the philosophy supports the discipline of nursing? (2) How extensive is the adoption and application of WPC? (3) Does the model make a difference in the context of nurse-patient interactions and outcomes in support of Magnet recognition criteria? Interpretative phenomenology was used and an interview protocol was developed to examine the adoption and movement toward a culture of WPC. WPC was 'lived.' it is a relationship-oriented patient care model. However, except in direct patient care, the principles of creation were poorly diffused. These results contribute to nursing leadership's roles in fostering a workplace climate that enables the diffusion of innovative models of care. In addition, these results support the Institute of Medicine's call for nurses to take the lead in adopting innovations and provides leaders with actionable strategies. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Understanding why women adopt and sustain home water treatment: insights from the Malawi antenatal care program.

PubMed

Wood, Siri; Foster, Jennifer; Kols, Adrienne

2012-08-01

In many settings in Africa, social marketing has proven more successful in generating brand recognition for chlorine water treatment products than in promoting their use. To promote household use of one such product in Malawi, WaterGuard, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Population Services International (PSI) distributed free hygiene kits that included WaterGuard to pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in 2007. Follow-up surveys documented a sustained increase in WaterGuard use three years after the initial intervention. In 2010, PATH (www.path.org) conducted qualitative research on the factors motivating women to adopt, sustain, or discontinue use. To provide context, interviews were also conducted with their friends, relatives, and husbands. Interviews revealed that sustained use of WaterGuard does not necessarily imply consistent use. Most respondents reported switching back and forth between WaterGuard and stock chlorine distributed for free by the government, and many treated water seasonally rather than year-round. Qualitative findings suggest that two program strategies strongly influenced women's decisions to adopt, purchase, and continue using WaterGuard. First, positive, ongoing contacts with health care workers, especially during home visits, raised awareness of the need to treat water, encouraged trial use, and supported continuing use. Second, an extended free trial of the product overcame initial cost barriers and allowed women and their families to experience the health benefits of WaterGuard, appreciate its value and relevance to their lives, and get used to its taste. Social support-from like-minded relatives, friends, neighbors, health care workers, husbands, and children-was also a critical factor that promoted consistent, ongoing use of WaterGuard. The findings confirm the importance of interpersonal communication in prompting adoption of household water treatment and suggest that consumers assess the perceived value of a product, not

Exploration and Adoption of Evidence-based Practice by US Child Welfare Agencies.

PubMed

Horwitz, Sarah McCue; Hurlburt, Michael S; Goldhaber-Fiebert, Jeremy D; Palinkas, Lawrence A; Rolls-Reutz, Jennifer; Zhang, Jinjin; Fisher, Emily; Landsverk, John

2014-04-01

To examine the extent to which child welfare agencies adopt new practices and to determine the barriers to and facilitators of adoption of new practices. Data came from telephone interviews with the directors of the 92 public child welfare agencies that constituted the probability sample for the first National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAWI). In a semi-structured 40 minute interview administered by a trained Research Associate, agency directors were asked about agency demographics, knowledge of evidence-based practices, use of technical assistance and actual use of evidence-based practices.. Of the 92 agencies, 83 or 90% agreed to be interviewed. Agencies reported that the majority of staff had a BA degree (53.45%) and that they either paid for (52.6%) or provided (80.7%) continuing education. Although agencies routinely collect standardized child outcomes (90%) they much less frequently collect measures of child functioning (30.9%). Almost all agencies (94%) had started a new program or practice but only 24.8% were evidence-based and strategies used to explore new programs or practices usually involved local or state contracts. Factors that were associated with program success included internal support for the innovation (27.3%), and an existing evidence base (23.5%). Directors of child welfare agencies frequently institute new programs or practices but they are not often evidence-based. Because virtually all agencies provide some continuing education adding discussions of evidence-based programs/practices may spur adaption. Reliance on local and state colleagues to explore new programs and practices suggests that developing well informed social networks may be a way to increase the spread of evidence0based practices.

The Adoption of Integrated Pest Management Practices among Texas Cotton Growers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, John K.; And Others

1990-01-01

Describes integrated pest management (IPM), a more advanced approach than chemical pesticide. Applies diffusion and farming-systems theories to create analytical model to explain IPM's adoption, use, and implications for agricultural change. Telephone surveys of Texas cotton growers on IPM practices found different sources of IPM information…

The Influence of Perceptions of Practice Characteristics: An Examination of Agricultural Best Management Practice Adoption in Two Indiana Watersheds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reimer, Adam P.; Weinkauf, Denise Klotthor; Prokopy, Linda Stalker

2012-01-01

Agricultural best management practices (BMPs), or conservation practices, can help reduce nonpoint source pollution from agricultural lands, as well as provide valuable wildlife habitat. There is a large literature exploring factors that lead to a producer's voluntary adoption of BMPs, but there have been inconsistent findings. Generally, this…

Level of awareness of cervical and breast cancer risk factors and safe practices among college teachers of different states in india: do awareness programmes have an impact on adoption of safe practices?

PubMed

Shankar, Abhishek; Rath, Gk; Roy, Shubham; Malik, Abhidha; Bhandari, Ruchir; Kishor, Kunal; Barnwal, Keshav; Upadyaya, Sneha; Srivastava, Vivek; Singh, Rajan

2015-01-01

Breast and cervical cancers are the most common causes of cancer mortality among women in India, but actually they are largely preventable diseases. Although early detection is the only way to reduce morbidity and mortality, there are limited data on breast and cervical cancer knowledge, safe practices and attitudes of teachers in India. The purpose of this study is to assess the level of awareness and impact of awareness programs in adoption of safe practices in prevention and early detection. This assessment was part of a pink chain campaign on cancer awareness. During cancer awareness events in 2011 at various women colleges in different parts in India, a pre-test related to cervical cancer and breast cancer was followed by an awareness program. Post-tests using the same questionnaire were conducted at the end of the interactive session, at 6 months and 1 year. A total of 156 out of 182 teachers participated in the study (overall response rate was 85.7 %). Mean age of the study population was 42.4 years (range- 28-59 yrs). There was a significant increase in level of knowledge regarding cervical and breast cancer at 6 months and this was sustained at 1 year. Adoption of breast self examination (BSE) was significantly more frequent in comparison to CBE, mammography and the Pap test. Magazines and newspapers were sources for knowledge regarding screening tests for breast cancer in more than 60% of teachers where as more than 75% were educated by doctors regarding the Pap test. Post awareness at 6 months and 1 year, there was a significant change in alcohol and smoking habits. Major reasons for not doing screening test were found to be ignorance (50%), lethargic attitude (44.8%) and lack of time (34.6%). Level of knowledge of breast cancer risk factors, symptoms and screening methods was high as compared to cervical cancer. There was a significant increase in level of knowledge regarding cervical and breast cancer at 6 months and this was sustained at 1 year

Advancing Educational Pedagogy for Sustainability: Developing and Implementing Programs to Transform Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redman, Erin

2013-01-01

Achieving a sustainable future requires that individuals adopt sustainable behaviors, which are often learned and cemented at a young age. Yet, traditional education efforts have been inadequate in fostering transformative change, in part because many programs focus on fact-heavy, teacher-centered techniques while neglecting the practices that…

Promoting Evidence-Based Practices: The Adoption of a Prevention Support System in Community Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Sarah B.; Paddock, Susan M.; Ebener, Patricia; Burkhart, A. K.; Chinman, Matthew

2009-01-01

Prevention support systems (PSSs) are designed to help communities implement evidence-based practices (EBPs). Little is known about the factors that influence their adoption. In this article, we examined adoption of a PSS for substance abuse prevention called Getting To Outcomes (GTO)[R] among staff in two community coalitions with varying levels…

Small physician practices in new york needed sustained help to realize gains in quality from use of electronic health records.

PubMed

Ryan, Andrew M; Bishop, Tara F; Shih, Sarah; Casalino, Lawrence P

2013-01-01

The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act spurred adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in the United States, through such measures as financial incentives to providers through Medicare and Medicaid and regional extension centers, which provide ongoing technical assistance to practices. Yet the relationship between EHR adoption and quality of care remains poorly understood. We evaluated the early effects on quality of the Primary Care Information Project, which provides subsidized EHRs and technical assistance to primary care practices in underserved neighborhoods in New York City, using the regional extension center model. We found that just general participation in, or exposure to, the project was not enough to improve quality of care. It took sustained exposure on the part of these practices and technical assistance to them before they demonstrated improvement on measures of care most likely to be affected by the use of electronic health records, such as cancer screenings and care for patients with diabetes. Participating in the Primary Care Information Project for nine or more months was associated with significantly improved quality, but only for this limited group of quality measures and only for physicians receiving extensive technical assistance.

Biotechnology essay competition: biotechnology and sustainable food practices.

PubMed

Peng, Judy; Schoeb, Helena; Lee, Gina

2013-06-01

Biotechnology Journal announces our second biotechnology essay competition with the theme "biotechnology and sustainable food practices", open to all undergraduate students. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Sustainability of current agriculture practices, community perception, and implications for ecosystem health: an Indian study.

PubMed

Sarkar, Atanu; Patil, Shantagouda; Hugar, Lingappa B; vanLoon, Gary

2011-12-01

In order to support agribusiness and to attain food security for ever-increasing populations, most countries in the world have embraced modern agricultural technologies. Ecological consequences of the technocentric approaches, and their sustainability and impacts on human health have, however, not received adequate attention particularly in developing countries. India is one country that has undergone a rapid transformation in the field of agriculture by adopting strategies of the Green Revolution. This article provides a comparative analysis of the effects of older and newer paradigms of agricultural practices on ecosystem and human health within the larger context of sustainability. The study was conducted in three closely situated areas where different agricultural practices were followed: (a) the head-end of a modern canal-irrigated area, (b) an adjacent dryland, and (c) an area (the ancient area) that has been provided with irrigation for some 800 years. Data were collected by in-depth interviews of individual farmers, focus-group discussions, participatory observations, and from secondary sources. The dryland, receiving limited rainfall, continues to practice diverse cropping centered to a large extent on traditional coarse cereals and uses only small amounts of chemical inputs. On the other hand, modern agriculture in the head-end emphasizes continuous cropping of rice supported by extensive and indiscriminate use of agrochemicals. Market forces have, to a significant degree, influenced the ancient area to abandon much of its early practices of organic farming and to take up aspects of modern agricultural practice. Rice cultivation in the irrigated parts has changed the local landscape and vegetation and has augmented the mosquito population, which is a potential vector for malaria, Japanese encephalitis and other diseases. Nevertheless, despite these problems, perceptions of adverse environmental effects are lowest in the heavily irrigated area.

Applying the Brakes: How Practical Classroom Decisions Affect the Adoption of Inquiry Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yarnall, Louise; Fusco, Judi

2014-01-01

If college science instructors are to use inquiry practices more in the classroom, they need both professional support to foster comfort with the pedagogy and practical ways to engage students in inquiry. Over a semester, we studied 13 community college biology instructors as they adopted bioinformatics problem-based learning (PBL) modules in…

"Eye-T": information technology adoption and use in Canada's optometry practices.

PubMed

Stolee, Paul; McKillop, Ian; McMurray, Josephine; Strong, J Graham; Jones, Deborah A; Hildebrand, Jenna M

2011-03-01

While information technology (IT) is playing an increasing role in the delivery of optometric services, little specific information is available about how IT is changing the practice of optometry in Canada or whether optometry schools are adequately preparing their students to use this technology when they graduate. Quantitative data on how IT is being used, as well as related barriers and potential benefits, were obtained in a survey of Canadian optometrists (N = 474). Three site visits were made to geographically dispersed Canadian optometry practices identified as exemplars of IT adoption. More than 96% of Canadian optometrists use computers in their practices, but fewer have integrated computers into their examination rooms. Optometrists are regularly using computers to manage their practices and medical record keeping. The automated perimeter is the clinical assessment technology most used (88.4%), followed by the autorefractor (83.9%) and the autokeratometer (72.2%). The anterior segment camera is the technology most likely to be acquired within the next 5 years (36.9%), followed by the scanning laser ophthalmoscope (26.8%). Major benefits of IT for optometrists include being better able to provide patients with images and information to explain results and to inspire greater patient confidence that the practice is state of the art. Perceived barriers include the need for frequent updates, lack of resources for training, and cost. There is support for increased exposure to IT as part of training in optometry. Use of IT in optometry practices is widespread and likely to continue to increase in the years ahead. IT may be a key element in the future success of optometry practices in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Perceptions of high investment and training costs are barriers to further adoption. Optometrists may benefit from increased exposure to IT as part of their training. Copyright © 2010 American Optometric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc

Hospitious Adoption: How Hospitality Empowers Children and Transforms Adoption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gritter, James L.

2009-01-01

Building on previous books by the author, "Hospitious Adoption: How Hospitality Empowers Children and Transforms Adoption" examines the next step after open adoption. Gritter takes the approach that practicing goodwill, respect, and courage within the realm of adoption makes the process move smoother and enriches children's lives. Following a…

Sustaining School-Based Asthma Interventions through Policy and Practice Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carpenter, Laurie M.; Lachance, Laurie; Wilkin, Margaret; Clark, Noreen M.

2013-01-01

Background: Schools are an ideal setting for implementation of asthma interventions for children; however, sustaining school-based programs can be challenging. This study illustrates policy and practice changes brought about through the Childhood Asthma Linkages in Missouri (CALM) program to sustain such programs. Methods: Researchers analyzed…

A practical approach to city tourism sustainability

Treesearch

Sotiris H. Avgoustis; Francis Achana

2003-01-01

Generally, destinations with pristine natural attributes are the ones faced with issues related to tourism sustainability. However, this narrow focus often leads to the establishment of dogmatic 'dos' and 'don'ts' that are not always practical in all circumstances. Secondly, depending on the definition that is given to the concept of...

Examining Barriers to Sustained Implementation of School-Wide Prevention Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turri, Mary G.; Mercer, Sterett H.; McIntosh, Kent; Nese, Rhonda N. T.; Strickland-Cohen, M. Kathleen; Hoselton, Robert

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if an experimental 5-item measure of barriers to implementing and sustaining school-wide prevention practices, the "Assessment of Barriers to Implementation and Sustainability in Schools" (ABISS), would relate to objective measures of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports…

Translating research into practice: speeding the adoption of innovative health care programs.

PubMed

Bradley, Elizabeth H; Webster, Tashonna R; Baker, Dorothy; Schlesinger, Mark; Inouye, Sharon K; Barth, Michael C; Lapane, Kate L; Lipson, Debra; Stone, Robyn; Koren, Mary Jane

2004-07-01

For this study, the authors conducted case studies of four varied clinical programs to learn key factors influencing the diffusion and adoption of evidence-based innovations in health care. They found that the success and speed of the adoption/diffusion process depend on: the roles of senior management and clinical leadership; the generation of credible supportive data; an infrastructure dedicated to translating the innovation from research into practice; the extent to which changes in organizational culture are required; and the amount of coordination needed across departments or disciplines. The translation process also depends on the characteristics and resources of the adopting organization, and on the degree to which people believe that the innovation responds to immediate and significant pressures in their environment.

High School Teachers’ Openness to Adopting New Practices: The Role of Personal Resources and Organizational Climate

PubMed Central

Pas, Elise T.; Loh, Deanna; Debnam, Katrina J.; Bradshaw, Catherine P.

2016-01-01

Although evidence-based practices for students’ social, emotional, and behavioral health are readily available, their adoption and quality implementation in schools are of increasing concern. Teachers are vital to implementation; yet, there is limited research on teachers’ openness to adopting new practices, which may be essential to successful program adoption and implementation. The current study explored how perceptions of principal support, teacher affiliation, teacher efficacy, and burnout relate to teachers’ openness to new practices. Data came from 2,133 teachers across 51 high schools. Structural equation modeling assessed how organizational climate (i.e., principal support and teacher affiliation) related to teachers’ openness directly and indirectly via teacher resources (i.e., efficacy and burnout). Teachers with more favorable perceptions of both principal support and teacher affiliation reported greater efficacy, and, in turn, more openness; however, burnout was not significantly associated with openness. Post hoc analyses indicated that among teachers with high levels of burnout, only principal support related to greater efficacy, and in turn, higher openness. Implications for promoting teachers’ openness to new program adoption are discussed. PMID:28533823

High School Teachers' Openness to Adopting New Practices: The Role of Personal Resources and Organizational Climate.

PubMed

Johnson, Stacy R; Pas, Elise T; Loh, Deanna; Debnam, Katrina J; Bradshaw, Catherine P

2017-03-01

Although evidence-based practices for students' social, emotional, and behavioral health are readily available, their adoption and quality implementation in schools are of increasing concern. Teachers are vital to implementation; yet, there is limited research on teachers' openness to adopting new practices, which may be essential to successful program adoption and implementation. The current study explored how perceptions of principal support, teacher affiliation, teacher efficacy, and burnout relate to teachers' openness to new practices. Data came from 2,133 teachers across 51 high schools. Structural equation modeling assessed how organizational climate (i.e., principal support and teacher affiliation) related to teachers' openness directly and indirectly via teacher resources (i.e., efficacy and burnout). Teachers with more favorable perceptions of both principal support and teacher affiliation reported greater efficacy, and, in turn, more openness; however, burnout was not significantly associated with openness. Post hoc analyses indicated that among teachers with high levels of burnout, only principal support related to greater efficacy, and in turn, higher openness. Implications for promoting teachers' openness to new program adoption are discussed.

Factors Influencing Farmers’ Adoption of Best Management Practices: A Review and Synthesis

EPA Science Inventory

Best management practices (BMPs) for reducing agricultural non-point source pollution are widely available. However, agriculture remains a major global contributor to degradation of waters because farmers often do not adopt BMPs. To improve water quality, it is necessary to under...

Sustainable supply chain design: a configurational approach.

PubMed

Masoumik, S Maryam; Abdul-Rashid, Salwa Hanim; Olugu, Ezutah Udoncy; Raja Ghazilla, Raja Ariffin

2014-01-01

Designing the right supply chain that meets the requirements of sustainable development is a significant challenge. Although there are a considerable number of studies on issues relating to sustainable supply chain design (SSCD) in terms of designing the practices, processes, and structures, they have rarely demonstrated how these components can be aligned to form an effective sustainable supply chain (SSC). Considering this gap in the literature, this study adopts the configurational approach to develop a conceptual framework that could configure the components of a SSC. In this respect, a process-oriented approach is utilized to classify and harmonize the design components. A natural-resource-based view (NRBV) is adopted to determine the central theme to align the design components around. The proposed framework presents three types of SSC, namely, efficient SSC, innovative SSC, and reputed SSC. The study culminates with recommendations concerning the direction for future research.

Sustainable Supply Chain Design: A Configurational Approach

PubMed Central

Masoumik, S. Maryam; Raja Ghazilla, Raja Ariffin

2014-01-01

Designing the right supply chain that meets the requirements of sustainable development is a significant challenge. Although there are a considerable number of studies on issues relating to sustainable supply chain design (SSCD) in terms of designing the practices, processes, and structures, they have rarely demonstrated how these components can be aligned to form an effective sustainable supply chain (SSC). Considering this gap in the literature, this study adopts the configurational approach to develop a conceptual framework that could configure the components of a SSC. In this respect, a process-oriented approach is utilized to classify and harmonize the design components. A natural-resource-based view (NRBV) is adopted to determine the central theme to align the design components around. The proposed framework presents three types of SSC, namely, efficient SSC, innovative SSC, and reputed SSC. The study culminates with recommendations concerning the direction for future research. PMID:24523652

The role of medical group practice administrators in the adoption and implementation of Medicare's physician quality reporting system.

PubMed

Coulam, Robert; Kralewski, John; Dowd, Bryan; Gans, David

2016-01-01

Although there are numerous studies of the factors influencing the adoption of quality assurance (QA) programs by medical group practices, few have focused on the role of group practice administrators. To gain insights into the role these administrators play in QA programs, we analyzed how medical practices adopted and implemented the Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), the largest physician quality reporting system in the United States. We conducted focus group interviews in 2011 with a national convenience sample of 76 medical group practice administrators. Responses were organized and analyzed using the innovation decision framework of Van de Ven and colleagues. Administrators conducted due diligence on PQRS, influenced how the issue was presented to physicians for adoption, and managed implementation thereafter. Administrators' recommendations were heavily influenced by practice characteristics, financial incentives, and practice commitments to early adoption of quality improvement innovations. Virtually, all who attempted it agreed that PQRS was straightforward to implement. However, the complexities of Medicare's PQRS reports impeded use of the data by administrators to support quality management. Group practice administrators are playing a prominent role in activities related to the quality of patient care--they are not limited to the business side of the practice. Especially, as PQRS becomes more nearly universal after 2014, Medicare should take account of the role that administrators play, by more actively engaging administrators in shaping these programs and making it easier for administrators to use the results. More research is needed on the rapidly evolving role of nonphysician administration in medical group practices. Practice administrators have a larger role than commonly understood in how quality reporting initiatives are adopted and used and are in an exceptional position to influence the more appropriate use of these resources if

Implementation of sustainable and green design and construction practices for bridges.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-12-01

The focus of this research is to develop a framework for more sustainable design and construction : processes for new bridges, and sustainable maintenance practices for existing bridges. The framework : includes a green rating system for bridges. The...

A guideline for interpersonal capabilities enhancement to support sustainable facility management practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarpin, Norliana; Kasim, Narimah; Zainal, Rozlin; Noh, Hamidun Mohd

2018-04-01

Facility management is the key phase in the development cycle of an assets and spans over a considerable length of time. Therefore, facility managers are in a commanding position to maximise the potential of sustainability through the development phases from construction, operation, maintenance and upgrade leading to decommission and deconstruction. Sustainability endeavours in facility management practices will contribute to reducing energy consumption, waste and running costs. Furthermore, it can also help in improving organisational productivity, financial return and community standing of the organisation. Facility manager should be empowered with the necessary knowledge and capabilities at the forefront facing sustainability challenge. However, literature studies show a gap between the level of awareness, specific knowledge and the necessary skills required to pursue sustainability in the facility management professional. People capability is considered as the key enabler in managing the sustainability agenda as well as being central to the improvement of competency and innovation in an organisation. This paper aims to develop a guidelines for interpersonal capabilities to support sustainability in facility management practice. Starting with a total of 7 critical interpersonal capabilities factors identified from previous questionnaire survey, the authors conducted an interview with 3 experts in facility management to assess the perceived importance of these factors. The findings reveal a set of guidelines for the enhancement of interpersonal capabilities among facility managers by providing what can be done to acquire these factors and how it can support the application of sustainability in their practice. The findings of this paper are expected to form the basis of a mechanism framework developed to equip facility managers with the right knowledge, to continue education and training and to develop new mind-sets to enhance the implementation of sustainability

Land degradation causes and sustainable land management practices in southern Jordan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khresat, Saeb

2014-05-01

Jordan is one of the world's most water-deficit countries with only about 4% of the total land area considered arable. As a consequence agricultural production is greatly constrained by limited natural resources. Therefore, a major challenge for the country is to promote the sustainable use of natural resources for agricultural purposes. This challenge is being made harder by the ongoing processes of degradation due to increased population pressure, which undermine any social and economic development gains. In the southern plains of Jordan, sustainability of farming practices has worsened in the past three decades, exacerbating pressure on land and increasing land degradation processes. Non-sustainable land use practices include improper ploughing, inappropriate rotations, inadequate or inexistent management of plant residues, overgrazing of natural vegetation, random urbanization, land fragmentation and over-pumping of groundwater. The root cause is the high population growth which exerts excessive pressure on the natural resources to meet increased food and income demand. The poorest farmers who are increasingly growing cereals on marginal areas. Wheat and barley are now grown with little to no rotation, with no nutrient replenishment, and at places avoiding even fallow. Small landholding sizes and topographic features of the area tend to oblige longitudinal mechanized tillage operations along the slopes. Overall, the constraints facing the deprived land users such as, poor access to technology, capital and organization are the factors that lead into unsustainable practices. The main bottlenecks and barriers that hinder mainstreaming of sustainable land management in Jordan can be grouped into three main categories: (i) Knowledge, (ii) Institutional and Governance, and (iii) Economic and Financial. In this case study, the key challenge was to create a knowledge base among local stakeholders - including planners, extension officers, NGO/community leaders, teachers

Adoption and Assisted Reproduction. Adoption and Ethics, Volume 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freundlich, Madelyn

The controversies in adoption have extended across a spectrum of policy and practice issues, and although the issues have become clear, resolution has not been achieved nor has consensus developed regarding a framework on which to improve the quality of adoption policy and practice. This book is the fourth in a series to use an ethics-based…

Lean waste classification model to support the sustainable operational practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutrisno, A.; Vanany, I.; Gunawan, I.; Asjad, M.

2018-04-01

Driven by growing pressure for a more sustainable operational practice, improvement on the classification of non-value added (waste) is one of the prerequisites to realize sustainability of a firm. While the use of the 7 (seven) types of the Ohno model now becoming a versatile tool to reveal the lean waste occurrence. In many recent investigations, the use of the Seven Waste model of Ohno is insufficient to cope with the types of waste occurred in industrial practices at various application levels. Intended to a narrowing down this limitation, this paper presented an improved waste classification model based on survey to recent studies discussing on waste at various operational stages. Implications on the waste classification model to the body of knowledge and industrial practices are provided.

Best Practices in Establishing and Sustaining Consortia in Pharmacy Education

PubMed Central

Hincapie, Ana; Baugh, Gina; Rice, Luke; Sy, Erin; Penm, Jonathan; Albano, Christian

2017-01-01

Objective. To describe best practices, necessary resources, and success or lessons learned from established consortia in pharmacy education. Methods. Using semi-structured interviews and qualitative analysis, interviews with members of established consortia in pharmacy education were conducted until saturation was reached. Themes were analyzed and meaningful descriptions of consortia characteristics were developed using systematic text condensation. Results. Thirteen interviews were conducted. The primary purpose for forming a consortium was identified as threefold: share ideas/best practices; facilitate collaboration; and perform shared problem-solving. For experiential education consortia, two additional purposes were found: share capacity for practice sites, and promote standardization across programs. When investigating best practices for established consortia, three main themes were identified. These included strategies for: (1) relationship building within consortia, (2) successful outcomes of consortia, and (3) sustainability. Successful outcomes included scholarship and, sometimes, program standardization. Sustainability was linked to structure/support and momentum. Respect was considered the foundation for collaborative relationships to flourish in these consortia. Conclusions. Pharmacy education consortia form through a process that involves relationship building to produce outcomes that promote sustainability, which benefits both pharmacy schools and individual faculty members. Consortium formation is a viable, productive, and often necessary institutional goal for pharmacy schools. PMID:28381887

Adoption of Geospatial Systems towards evolving Sustainable Himalayan Mountain Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murthy, M. S. R.; Bajracharya, B.; Pradhan, S.; Shestra, B.; Bajracharya, R.; Shakya, K.; Wesselmann, S.; Ali, M.; Bajracharya, S.; Pradhan, S.

2014-11-01

Natural resources dependence of mountain communities, rapid social and developmental changes, disaster proneness and climate change are conceived as the critical factors regulating sustainable Himalayan mountain development. The Himalayan region posed by typical geographic settings, diverse physical and cultural diversity present a formidable challenge to collect and manage data, information and understands varied socio-ecological settings. Recent advances in earth observation, near real-time data, in-situ measurements and in combination of information and communication technology have transformed the way we collect, process, and generate information and how we use such information for societal benefits. Glacier dynamics, land cover changes, disaster risk reduction systems, food security and ecosystem conservation are a few thematic areas where geospatial information and knowledge have significantly contributed to informed decision making systems over the region. The emergence and adoption of near-real time systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), board-scale citizen science (crowd-sourcing), mobile services and mapping, and cloud computing have paved the way towards developing automated environmental monitoring systems, enhanced scientific understanding of geophysical and biophysical processes, coupled management of socio-ecological systems and community based adaptation models tailored to mountain specific environment. There are differentiated capacities among the ICIMOD regional member countries with regard to utilization of earth observation and geospatial technologies. The region can greatly benefit from a coordinated and collaborative approach to capture the opportunities offered by earth observation and geospatial technologies. The regional level data sharing, knowledge exchange, and Himalayan GEO supporting geospatial platforms, spatial data infrastructure, unique region specific satellite systems to address trans-boundary challenges would go a long way in

Sustaining Culture Change: Experiences in the Green House Model.

PubMed

Bowers, Barbara; Nolet, Kimberly; Jacobson, Nora

2016-02-01

To describe conditions that influence how Green House (GH) organizations are sustaining culture change principles and practices in a sample of GH skilled nursing homes. Primary data were collected at 11 skilled nursing GH organizations from 2012 to 2014. These organizations have adopted the comprehensive and prescriptive GH model of culture change. To develop an understanding of sustainability from the perspective of staff who are immersed in GH daily work, grounded theory qualitative methods were used. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 166 staff and observation of house meetings and daily operations. Data were analyzed using grounded dimensional analysis. Organizations varied in their ability to sustain GH principles and practices. An organization's approach to problem solving was central to sustaining the model. Key conditions influenced reinforcement or erosion of GH principles and practices. Reinforcing the GH model requires a highly skilled team of staff with the ability to frequently and collaboratively solve both mundane and complex problems in ways that are consistent with the GH model. This raises questions about the type of human resources practices and policy supports that could assist organizations in sustaining culture change. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Apprehensions and Expectations of the Adoption of Systematically Planned, Outcome-Oriented Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savaya, Riki; Altschuler, Dorit; Melamed, Sharon

2013-01-01

Objectives: The study examined social workers' apprehensions and expectations of the impending adoption of systematically planned, empirically based, outcome-oriented practice (SEOP). Method: Employing a mixed methods longitudinal design, the study used concept mapping to identify and map workers' apprehensions and expectations and a self-reported…

Performance Management Practices, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Adoption and Managed Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kagaari, James R. K.; Munene, John C.; Ntayi, Joseph Mpeera

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the need for managers of public universities to pay attention to performance management practices and information communication technology (ICT) adoption in order to achieve successful managed performance. Design/methodology/approach: Using a disproportionate stratified purposive approach, a…

Developing sustainable food supply chains.

PubMed

Smith, B Gail

2008-02-27

This paper reviews the opportunities available for food businesses to encourage consumers to eat healthier and more nutritious diets, to invest in more sustainable manufacturing and distribution systems and to develop procurement systems based on more sustainable forms of agriculture. The important factors in developing more sustainable supply chains are identified as the type of supply chain involved and the individual business attitude to extending responsibility for product quality into social and environmental performance within their own supply chains. Interpersonal trust and working to standards are both important to build more sustainable local and many conserved food supply chains, but inadequate to transform mainstream agriculture and raw material supplies to the manufactured and commodity food markets. Cooperation among food manufacturers, retailers, NGOs, governmental and farmers' organizations is vital in order to raise standards for some supply chains and to enable farmers to adopt more sustainable agricultural practices.

The Adoption of Innovation in Youth Organizations: Creating the Conditions for Youth-Adult Partnerships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeldin, Shepherd; Camino, Linda; Mook, Carrie

2005-01-01

Youth-adult partnerships (Y-APs) for organizational and community change represent an innovative practice in the United States. Innovations are typically a challenge to implement, so it is not surprising that youth organizations are seeking guidance on how to adopt and sustain Y-APs. This article brings contemporary scholarship to bear on the…

Booker T. Washington's Educational Contributions to Contemporary Practices of Sustainable Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Brett G.

2014-01-01

This article discusses Booker T. Washington's educational contributions to contemporary practices of sustainable development. In particular, the article looks at Washington's contributions in the areas of economic sustainability and entrepreneurship, character development, and aesthetics. As states continue to contemplate and evaluate the value of…

Building Integrated Design Practice under the Concept of Sustainable Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xuexin

2018-03-01

With the continuous development of social economy, people are more demanding for architecture. Some advanced design concepts are gradually applied to the design of buildings. Under the concept of sustainable development, building integration design has also been widely used to promote the rapid development of architectural design. Integrated design concepts and sustainable development concepts play an important role to meet people’s requirements. This article will explore the concept of sustainable development under the concept of integrated architectural design and practice analysis, propose appropriate measures.

Knowledge, attitude and practice towards child adoption amongst women attending infertility clinics in Lagos State, Nigeria

PubMed Central

Kofoworola, Odeyemi

2011-01-01

Abstract Background Child adoption is a recommended alternative form of infertility management. Infertility is of public health importance in Nigeria and many other developing nations. This is a result of its high prevalence and especially because of its serious social implications as the African society places a passionate premium on procreation in any family setting. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of child adoption amongst women attending infertility clinics in teaching hospitals in Lagos State and to determine the factors that influence their attitude and practice towards it. Method A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. Data were collected by using a structured questionnaire which was interviewer-administered. The study was conducted in the two teaching hospitals in Lagos State (LUTH [Lagos University Teaching Hospital] and LASUTH [Lagos State University Teaching Hospital]) from amongst 350 women attending the gynaecological clinics. All the patients under management for infertility at the gynaecology clinics during the period of the study were interviewed. Results Many respondents (85.7%) had heard of child adoption and 59.3% of them knew the correct meaning of the term. More than half of the respondents (68.3%) said that they could love an adopted child but less than half of them (33.7%) were willing to consider adoption. Only 13.9% has ever adopted a child. The major reason given for their unwillingness to adopt was their desire to have their own biological child. Factors that were favourable towards child adoption were Igbo tribe identity, an age above 40 years, duration of infertility above 15 years, and knowing the correct meaning of child adoption. Conclusion There is a poor attitude to adoption even amongst infertile couples. Interventions need to be implemented to educate the public on child adoption, to improve their attitude towards adoption and to make it more acceptable.

The Market Forces in Adoption. Adoption and Ethics, Volume 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freundlich, Madelyn

The controversies in adoption have extended across a spectrum of policy and practice issues, and although the issues have become clear, resolution has not been achieved nor has consensus developed regarding a framework on which to improve the quality of adoption policy and practice. This book is the second in a series to use an ethics-based…

Factors associated with adoption of beneficial newborn care practices in rural Eastern Uganda: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Owor, Michael O; Matovu, Joseph K B; Murokora, Daniel; Wanyenze, Rhoda K; Waiswa, Peter

2016-04-21

Beneficial newborn care practices can improve newborn survival. However, little is known about the factors that affect adoption of these practices. Cross-sectional study conducted among 1,616 mothers who had delivered in the past year in two health sub-districts (Luuka and Buyende) in Eastern Uganda. Data collection took place between November and December 2011. Data were collected on socio-demographic and economic characteristics, antenatal care visits, skilled delivery attendance, parity, distance to health facility and early newborn care knowledge and practices. Descriptive statistics were computed to determine the proportion of mothers who adopted beneficial newborn care practices (optimal thermal care; good feeding practices; weighing and immunizing the baby immediately after birth; and good cord care) during the neonatal period. We conducted multivariable logistic regression to assess the covariates of adoption of all beneficial newborn care practices. Analysis was done using STATA statistical software, version 12.1. Of the 1,616 mothers enrolled, 622 (38.5%) were aged 25-34; 1,472 (91.1%) were married; 1,096 (67.8%) had primary education; while 1,357 (84%) were laborers or peasants. Utilization of all beneficial newborn care practices was 11.7%; lower in Luuka (9.4%, n = 797) than in Buyende health sub-district (13.9%, n = 819; p = 0.005). Good cord care (83.6% in Luuka; 95% in Buyende) and immunization of newborn (80.7% in Luuka; 82.5% in Buyende) were the most prevalent newborn care practices reported by mothers. At the multivariable analysis, number of ANC visits (3-4 vs. 1-2: Adjusted (Adj.) Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.13, 2.52), skilled delivery (Adj. OR = 2.66, 95% CI = 1.92, 3.69), socio-economic status (middle vs. low: Adj. OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.09, 2.26) were positively associated with adoption of all beneficial newborn care practices among mothers. Adoption of all beneficial newborn care practices was low, although associated with higher

The rationale for simple approaches for sustainability assessment and management in contaminated land practice.

PubMed

Bardos, R Paul; Bone, Brian D; Boyle, Richard; Evans, Frank; Harries, Nicola D; Howard, Trevor; Smith, Jonathan W N

2016-09-01

The scale of land-contamination problems, and of the responses to them, makes achieving sustainability in contaminated land remediation an important objective. The Sustainable Remediation Forum in the UK (SuRF-UK) was established in 2007 to support more sustainable remediation practice in the UK. The current international interest in 'sustainable remediation' has achieved a fairly rapid consensus on concepts, descriptions and definitions for sustainable remediation, which are now being incorporated into an ISO standard. However the sustainability assessment methods being used remain diverse with a range of (mainly) semi-quantitative and quantitative approaches and tools developed, or in development. Sustainability assessment is site specific and subjective. It depends on the inclusion of a wide range of considerations across different stakeholder perspectives. Taking a tiered approach to sustainability assessment offers important advantages, starting from a qualitative assessment and moving through to semi-quantitative and quantitative assessments on an 'as required' basis only. It is also clear that there are a number of 'easy wins' that could improve performance against sustainability criteria right across the site management process. SuRF-UK has provided a checklist of 'sustainable management practices' that describes some of these. This paper provides the rationale for, and an outline of, and recently published SuRF-UK guidance on preparing for and framing sustainability assessments; carrying out qualitative sustainability assessment; and simple good management practices to improve sustainability across contaminated land management activities. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmentally Sustainable Practices among College Outdoor Programs and Their Association with Organizational Support Structures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frauman, Eric

2017-01-01

Sustainability has gained increasing importance amongst both academic research and organizational practice over the past two decades (Davis & Challenger, 2014). The primary purpose of this study was to examine environmentally sustainable practices among college outdoor programs, while also examining how college level policy and infrastructural…

Enhance knowledge on sustainable use of plant protection products within the framework of the sustainable use directive.

PubMed

Calliera, Maura; Berta, Fabio; Galassi, Tiziano; Mazzini, Floriano; Rossi, Rossana; Bassi, Roberto; Meriggi, Pierluigi; Bernard, Alfredo; Marchis, Alex; Di Guardo, Andrea; Capri, Ettore

2013-08-01

In 2008-2009, a survey in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy collected information on the farm use of plant protection products (PPPs) and evaluated whether the provisions of the Directive for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides are applicable. It was concluded that the provisions can be implemented, even if some gaps need to be filled and also the behaviour of farmers needs to be improved. Moreover, it was observed that all stages in the use of PPPs on farms could generate risks for the operator and/or the environment. One of the recommendations is to promote training for operators and to adopt good agronomic practices in order to improve sustainable use of PPPs. The findings were used, in the following years, to develop a Guideline for Sustainable Use of PPPs to help the user in identifying the flaws in current practices at farm level as well as their corresponding corrective actions. The Guidelines are accompanied by free online software to be used as a diagnostic tool as well as to provide recommendations for improvements. The approach adopted, taking into account the variability in farm structure, cropping pattern, risk attitude and economic availability, is not an instrument to identify the most suitable protection strategy for a given crop in a given period, but to help professional users to improve their practices in managing PPPs on farms and to make the most appropriate choices leading to reduced environmental and human risk, without compromising the profitability of agricultural production and food standards. This work has, as an underlying principle, a holistic approach to link the different elements of the three pillars of sustainability (environment, economy and society) and to enhance knowledge, which represents one of the main aspects of the Directive. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Adoption of telemedicine in Scottish remote and rural general practices: a qualitative study.

PubMed

King, Gerry; Richards, Helen; Godden, David

2007-01-01

We conducted a qualitative interview study to explore the factors that have facilitated and prevented the adoption of telemedicine in general practice in remote and rural Scotland. Face-to-face interviews were carried out with general practitioners (GPs) and practice nurses in 26 of Scotland's most remote practices and five of the seven most rural health boards. The interview study found that GPs were more positive about the use of computers and telemedicine than nurses. Although electronic access to simple data, such as laboratory results, had become widely accepted, most respondents had very little experience of more sophisticated telemedicine applications, such as videoconferencing. There was widespread scepticism about the potential usefulness of clinical applications of telemedicine, although it was perceived to have potential benefit in facilitating access to educational resources. A number of barriers to the adoption of telemedicine were reported, including concerns that videoconferencing could diminish the quality of communication in educational and clinical settings, and that telemedicine would not fit easily with the organizational routines of the practices. Policy-makers should prioritize strategies to develop educational programmes, as these are more likely to succeed than clinical initiatives. It may then follow that clinicians will see opportunities for use in their clinical work.

Increased Health Information Technology Adoption and Use Among Small Primary Care Physician Practices Over Time: A National Cohort Study.

PubMed

Rittenhouse, Diane R; Ramsay, Patricia P; Casalino, Lawrence P; McClellan, Sean; Kandel, Zosha K; Shortell, Stephen M

2017-01-01

Implementation and meaningful use of health information technology (HIT) has been shown to facilitate delivery system transformation, yet implementation is far from universal. This study examined correlates of greater HIT implementation over time among a national cohort of small primary care practices in the United States. We used data from a 40-minute telephone panel survey of 566 small primary care practices having 8 or fewer physicians to investigate adoption and use of HIT in 2007-2010 and 2012-2013. We used generalized estimating equations (GEE) to estimate the association of practice characteristics and external incentives with the adoption and use of HIT. We studied 18 measures of HIT functionalities, including record keeping, clinical decision support, patient communication, and health information exchange with hospitals and pharmacies. Overall, use of 16 HIT functionalities increased significantly over time, whereas use of 2 decreased significantly. On average, compared with physician-owned practices, hospital-owned practices used 1.48 (95% CI, 1.07-1.88; P <.001) more HIT processes. And relative to smaller practices, practices with 3 to 8 physicians used 2.49 (95% CI, 2.26-2.72; P <.001) more HIT processes. Participation in pay-for-performance programs, participation in public reporting of clinical quality data, and a larger proportion of revenue from Medicare were also associated with greater adoption and use of HIT. The new Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) will provide payment incentives and technical support to speed HIT adoption and use by small practices. We found that external incentives were, indeed, positively associated with greater adoption and use of HIT. Our findings also support a strategy of targeting assistance to smaller physician practices and those that are physician owned. © 2017 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Linking knowledge and action through mental models of sustainable agriculture.

PubMed

Hoffman, Matthew; Lubell, Mark; Hillis, Vicken

2014-09-09

Linking knowledge to action requires understanding how decision-makers conceptualize sustainability. This paper empirically analyzes farmer "mental models" of sustainability from three winegrape-growing regions of California where local extension programs have focused on sustainable agriculture. The mental models are represented as networks where sustainability concepts are nodes, and links are established when a farmer mentions two concepts in their stated definition of sustainability. The results suggest that winegrape grower mental models of sustainability are hierarchically structured, relatively similar across regions, and strongly linked to participation in extension programs and adoption of sustainable farm practices. We discuss the implications of our findings for the debate over the meaning of sustainability, and the role of local extension programs in managing knowledge systems.

Linking knowledge and action through mental models of sustainable agriculture

PubMed Central

Hoffman, Matthew; Lubell, Mark; Hillis, Vicken

2014-01-01

Linking knowledge to action requires understanding how decision-makers conceptualize sustainability. This paper empirically analyzes farmer “mental models” of sustainability from three winegrape-growing regions of California where local extension programs have focused on sustainable agriculture. The mental models are represented as networks where sustainability concepts are nodes, and links are established when a farmer mentions two concepts in their stated definition of sustainability. The results suggest that winegrape grower mental models of sustainability are hierarchically structured, relatively similar across regions, and strongly linked to participation in extension programs and adoption of sustainable farm practices. We discuss the implications of our findings for the debate over the meaning of sustainability, and the role of local extension programs in managing knowledge systems. PMID:25157158

Wrongful Adoption: Law, Policy and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freundlich, Madelyn; Peterson, Lisa

The past decade has seen an increase in cases where adoptive parents fail to receive accurate or complete information about a child's physical, emotional, or developmental problems or about the child's birth family and history. In these cases adoptive parents are confronted with extremely expensive medical care or mental health care. This…

Public-Interest Values and Program Sustainability: Some Implications for Evaluation Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chelimsky, Eleanor

2014-01-01

Evaluating the longer-term sustainability of government programs and policies seems in many ways to go beyond the boundaries of typical evaluation practice. Not only have intervention failures over time been difficult to predict, but the question of sustainability itself tends to fall outside current evaluation thinking, timing and functions. This…

Adoption Practice in Canada: Emerging Trends and Challenges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobol, Michael P.; Daly, Kerry

1995-01-01

Reports the results of the National Adoption Study of Canada (NAS), which is based on demographic adoption statistics and a survey of adoption agencies and practitioners. The NAS found that between 1981 and 1990 the number of adoptions decreased by 47% and that private adoptions are accounting for an ever-increasing proportion of infant…

Sustainability of professionals’ adherence to clinical practice guidelines in medical care: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Ament, Stephanie M C; de Groot, Jeanny J A; Maessen, José M C; Dirksen, Carmen D; van der Weijden, Trudy; Kleijnen, Jos

2015-01-01

Objectives To evaluate (1) the state of the art in sustainability research and (2) the outcomes of professionals’ adherence to guideline recommendations in medical practice. Design Systematic review. Data sources Searches were conducted until August 2015 in MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and the Guidelines International Network (GIN) library. A snowball strategy, in which reference sections of other reviews and of included papers were searched, was used to identify additional papers. Eligibility criteria Studies needed to be focused on sustainability and on professionals’ adherence to clinical practice guidelines in medical care. Studies had to include at least 2 measurements: 1 before (PRE) or immediately after implementation (EARLY POST) and 1 measurement longer than 1 year after active implementation (LATE POST). Results The search retrieved 4219 items, of which 14 studies met the inclusion criteria, involving 18 sustainability evaluations. The mean timeframe between the end of active implementation and the sustainability evaluation was 2.6 years (minimum 1.5–maximum 7.0). The studies were heterogeneous with respect to their methodology. Sustainability was considered to be successful if performance in terms of professionals’ adherence was fully maintained in the late postimplementation phase. Long-term sustainability of professionals’ adherence was reported in 7 out of 18 evaluations, adherence was not sustained in 6 evaluations, 4 evaluations showed mixed sustainability results and in 1 evaluation it was unclear whether the professional adherence was sustained. Conclusions (2) Professionals’ adherence to a clinical practice guideline in medical care decreased after more than 1 year after implementation in about half of the cases. (1) Owing to the limited number of studies, the absence of a uniform definition, the high risk of bias, and the mixed results of studies, no firm conclusion about the

A comparison of physician pre-adoption and adoption views on electronic health records in Canadian medical practices.

PubMed

Archer, Norm; Cocosila, Mihail

2011-08-12

There is a major campaign involving large expenditures of public money to increase the adoption rate of electronic health record (EHR) systems in Canada. To maximize the chances of success in this effort, physician views on EHRs must be addressed, since user perceptions are key to successful implementation of technology innovations. We propose a theoretical model comprising behavioral factors either favoring or against EHR adoption and use in Canadian medical practices, from the physicians' point of view. EHR perceptions of physicians already using EHR systems are compared with those not using one, through the lens of this model. We conducted an online cross-sectional survey in both English and French among medical practitioners across Canada. Data were collected both from physicians using EHRs and those not using EHRs, and analyzed with structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques. We collected 119 responses from EHR users and 100 from nonusers, resulting in 2 valid samples of 102 and 83 participants, respectively. The theoretical adoption model explained 55.8% of the variance in behavioral intention to continue using EHRs for physicians already using them, and 66.8% of the variance in nonuser intention to adopt such systems. Perception of ease of use was found to be the strongest motivator for EHR users (total effect .525), while perceptions of usefulness and of ease of use were the key determinants for nonusers (total effect .538 and .519, respectively) to adopt the system. Users see perceived overall risk associated with EHR adoption as a major obstacle (total effect -.371), while nonusers perceive risk only as a weak indirect demotivator. Of the 13 paths of the SEM model, 5 showed significant differences between the 2 samples (at the .05 level): general doubts about using the system (P = .02), the necessity for the system to be relevant for their job (P < .001), and the necessity for the system to be useful (P = .049) are more important for EHR nonusers than

Adoptive parenting.

PubMed

Grotevant, Harold D; Lo, Albert Yh

2017-06-01

Challenges in adoptive parenting continue to emerge as adoption policies and practices evolve. We review three areas of research in adoptive parenting that reflect contemporary shifts in adoption. First, we highlight recent findings concerning openness in adoption contact arrangements, or contact between a child's families of birth and rearing. Second, we examine research regarding racial and cultural socialization in transracial and international adoptions. Finally, we review investigations of parenting experiences of lesbian and gay adoptive parents. Overall, parenting processes (e.g., supportive vs. problematic family interaction) are better predictors of child adjustment than are group differences (e.g., open vs. closed adoptions; adoption by heterosexual vs. same-sex parents). The distinctive needs of adopted children call for preparation of adoption-competent mental health, casework, education, and health care professionals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attitudes of Vermont dairy farmers regarding adoption of management practices for grassland songbirds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Troy, A.B.; Strong, A.M.; Bosworth, S.C.; Donovan, T.M.; Buckley, N.J.; Wilson, M.L.

2005-01-01

In the northeastern United States, most populations of grassland songbirds occur on private lands. However, little information exists about the attitudes of farmers toward habitat management for this guild. To address this information gap, we surveyed 131 dairy farmers in Vermont's Champlain Valley to assess current hayfield management practices and farmers' willingness to adopt more "bird-friendly" practices. Our results showed a clear trend toward earlier and more frequent hayfield cuts. Farmers indicated they have little flexibility to alter the timing of their cuts on most of their land. However, many farmers (49%) indicated a willingness to adopt alternative management practices on at least a small portion of their land. Combined with the fact that many farmers characterized parts of their land as "wasteland," or economically unproductive land, this result suggests that some leeway exists for increasing songbird habitat quality on at least portions of dairy farms. Although significant differences existed in the amount of land for which farmers were willing to adopt alternative management based on herd size, acreage, and experience, the directionality of these relationships could not be established except tentatively for herd size, in which case it appeared that farmers with smaller herds were more likely to dedicate a greater percentage of their land to alternative management. The results of this study likely have relevance to dairy farms throughout the northern-tier dairy states. Given the increasing trend for agricultural land to be converted into housing, we recommend that extension and education efforts target farmers with large hayfield acreages, encouraging the maintenance of high-quality habitat for grassland songbirds.

Strategies for Developing Sustainable Design Practice for Students and SME Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Eyto, A.; Mc Mahon, M.; Hadfield, M.; Hutchings, M.

2008-01-01

Designers and engineers seem finally to be awakening to the challenge that sustainable development has given. Educators and students alike are keenly aware of the need to become more effective in the training and practice of their specific disciplines with respect to sustainability. In the past four years since this research has developed, there…

Open adoption of infants: adoptive parents' feelings seven years later.

PubMed

Siegel, Deborah H

2003-07-01

Adoptions today increasingly include contact between adoptive and birth families. What do these "open adoptions" look like? How do the participants feel about them? This article, based on part of a longitudinal study that first examined adoptive parents' perceptions of their infants' open adoptions seven years ago, explores the parents' reactions now that their children are school age. This qualitative descriptive research revealed changes in the openness in the adoptions over time and identified four dimensions along which open adoptions vary. Findings showed parents' enthusiasm for the openness in their adoptions, regardless of the type and extent of openness. Implications for social work practice, education, and policy are explored.

Securing the Adoption of Good Practice in Scotland's Colleges. A Report by HM Inspectors of Education for the Scottish Funding Council

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, 2006

2006-01-01

The purpose of this report is to describe the main mechanisms currently in use in Scotland's colleges to ensure that the adoption of good practice actually happens. It investigates how colleges identify and promote good practice in their own institutions; how they develop strategies and processes to ensure good practice is shared, adopted and…

To adopt, to adapt, or to contextualise? The big question in clinical practice guideline development.

PubMed

Dizon, Janine Margarita; Machingaidze, Shingai; Grimmer, Karen

2016-09-13

Developing new clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) can be time-consuming and expensive. A more efficient approach could be to adopt, adapt or contextualise recommendations from existing good quality CPGs so that the resultant guidance is tailored to the local context. The first steps are to search for international CPGs that have a similar purpose, end-users and patients to your situation. The second step is to critically appraise the methodological quality of the CPGs to ensure that your guidance is based on credible evidence. Then the decisions begin. Can you simply 'adopt' this (parent) clinical practice guidelines, and implement the recommendations in their entirety, without any changes, in your setting? If so, then no further work is required. However this situation is rare. What is more likely, is that even if recommendations from the parent clinical practice guidelines can be adopted, how they are implemented needs to address local issues. Thus you may need to 'contextualise' the guidance, by addressing implementation issues such as local workforce, training, health systems, equipment and/or access to services. Generally this means that additional information is required (Practice/Context Points) to support effective implementation of the clinical practice guidelines recommendations. In some cases, you may need to 'adapt' the guidance, where you will make changes to the recommendations so that care is relevant to your local environments. This may involve additional work to search for local research, or obtain local consensus, regarding how best to adapt recommendations. For example, adaptation might reflect substituting one drug for another (drugs have similar effects, but the alternative drug to the recommended one may be cheaper, more easily obtained or more culturally acceptable). There is lack of standardisation of clinical practice guidelines terminology, leading clinical practice guideline activities often being poorly conceptualised or reported. We

Sustainability assessment of greenhouse vegetable farming practices from environmental, economic, and socio-institutional perspectives in China.

PubMed

Yang, Lanqin; Huang, Biao; Mao, Mingcui; Yao, Lipeng; Niedermann, Silvana; Hu, Wenyou; Chen, Yong

2016-09-01

To provide growing population with sufficient food, greenhouse vegetable production has expanded rapidly in recent years in China and sustainability of its farming practices is a major concern. Therefore, this study assessed the sustainability of greenhouse vegetable farming practices from environmental, economic, and socio-institutional perspectives in China based on selected indicators. The empirical data were collected through a survey of 91 farm households from six typical greenhouse vegetable production bases and analysis of environmental material samples. The results showed that heavy fertilization in greenhouse vegetable bases of China resulted in an accumulation of N, P, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in soil, nutrient eutrophication in irrigation water, and high Cd in some leaf vegetables cultivated in acidic soil. Economic factors including decreased crop yield in conventional farming bases, limited and site-dependent farmers' income, and lack of complete implementation of subsidy policies contributed a lot to adoption of heavy fertilization by farmers. Also, socio-institutional factors such as lack of unified management of agricultural supplies in the bases operated in cooperative and small family business models and low agricultural extension service efficiency intensified the unreasonable fertilization. The selection of cultivated vegetables was mainly based on farmers' own experience rather than site-dependent soil conditions. Thus, for sustainable development of greenhouse vegetable production systems in China, there are two key aspects. First, it is imperative to reduce environmental pollution and subsequent health risks through integrated nutrient management and the planting strategy of selected low metal accumulation vegetable species especially in acidic soil. Second, a conversion of cooperative and small family business models of greenhouse vegetable bases to enterprises should be extensively advocated in future for the unified agricultural supplies

Collaborative Working and Contested Practices: Forming, Developing and Sustaining Social Partnerships in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Billett, Stephen; Ovens, Carolyn; Clemans, Allie; Seddon, Terri

2007-01-01

Despite a lack of applied research, social partnerships are increasingly being adopted by both government and non-government agencies to meet localized needs in education and other fields. This article discusses the findings of an investigation of how social partnerships can best be formed, developed and sustained over time. Earlier work…

Sustainability of professionals' adherence to clinical practice guidelines in medical care: a systematic review.

PubMed

Ament, Stephanie M C; de Groot, Jeanny J A; Maessen, José M C; Dirksen, Carmen D; van der Weijden, Trudy; Kleijnen, Jos

2015-12-29

To evaluate (1) the state of the art in sustainability research and (2) the outcomes of professionals' adherence to guideline recommendations in medical practice. Systematic review. Searches were conducted until August 2015 in MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and the Guidelines International Network (GIN) library. A snowball strategy, in which reference sections of other reviews and of included papers were searched, was used to identify additional papers. Studies needed to be focused on sustainability and on professionals' adherence to clinical practice guidelines in medical care. Studies had to include at least 2 measurements: 1 before (PRE) or immediately after implementation (EARLY POST) and 1 measurement longer than 1 year after active implementation (LATE POST). The search retrieved 4219 items, of which 14 studies met the inclusion criteria, involving 18 sustainability evaluations. The mean timeframe between the end of active implementation and the sustainability evaluation was 2.6 years (minimum 1.5-maximum 7.0). The studies were heterogeneous with respect to their methodology. Sustainability was considered to be successful if performance in terms of professionals' adherence was fully maintained in the late postimplementation phase. Long-term sustainability of professionals' adherence was reported in 7 out of 18 evaluations, adherence was not sustained in 6 evaluations, 4 evaluations showed mixed sustainability results and in 1 evaluation it was unclear whether the professional adherence was sustained. (2) Professionals' adherence to a clinical practice guideline in medical care decreased after more than 1 year after implementation in about half of the cases. (1) Owing to the limited number of studies, the absence of a uniform definition, the high risk of bias, and the mixed results of studies, no firm conclusion about the sustainability of professionals' adherence to guidelines in medical practice can be drawn

Assessing Integrated Pest Management Adoption: Measurement Problems and Policy Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puente, Molly; Darnall, Nicole; Forkner, Rebecca E.

2011-11-01

For more than a decade, the U.S. government has promoted integrated pest management (IPM) to advance sustainable agriculture. However, the usefulness of this practice has been questioned because of lagging implementation. There are at least two plausible rationales for the slow implementation: (1) growers are not adopting IPM—for whatever reason—and (2) current assessment methods are inadequate at assessing IPM implementation. Our research addresses the second plausibility. We suggest that the traditional approach to measuring IPM implementation on its own fails to assess the distinct, biologically hierarchical components of IPM, and instead aggregates growers' management practices into an overall adoption score. Knowledge of these distinct components and the extent to which they are implemented can inform government officials as to how they should develop targeted assistance programs to encourage broader IPM use. We address these concerns by assessing the components of IPM adoption and comparing our method to the traditional approach alone. Our results indicate that there are four distinct components of adoption—weed, insect, general, and ecosystem management—and that growers implement the first two components significantly more often than the latter two. These findings suggest that using a more nuanced measure to assess IPM adoption that expands on the traditional approach, allows for a better understanding of the degree of IPM implementation.

Perceptions of Improved Biomass and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Stoves in Puno, Peru: Implications for Promoting Sustained and Exclusive Adoption of Clean Cooking Technologies.

PubMed

Hollada, Jacqueline; Williams, Kendra N; Miele, Catherine H; Danz, David; Harvey, Steven A; Checkley, William

2017-02-13

Many households in low- and middle-income countries cook with inefficient biomass-burning stoves, which cause high levels of household air pollution and threaten long-term health. Although clean stoves and fuels are available, uptake and consistent use has been low. Using observations and in-depth interviews, we assessed the attitudes, preferences, and beliefs about traditional versus liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stoves in rural Puno, Peru. A total of 31 in-depth interviews were conducted with primary cooks and their families, health workers, community leaders, and improved stove contractors. Six in-home observations of meal preparation were also conducted. Six major barriers to consistent use of clean stoves were identified: (1) perceived differences in food taste and nutrition by stove type; (2) cooking niches filled by different stoves; (3) social norms related to cooking practices; (4) safety concerns; (5) comparative costs of using different stoves; and (6) lack of awareness and concern about long-term health risks. These findings suggest that to successfully reduce household air pollution, clean cooking programs and policies must consider the many factors influencing adoption beyond health, such as cost, taste, fears, and cultural traditions. These factors could be incorporated into community-based and national efforts to scale-up sustained and exclusive adoption of clean cooking.

Perceptions of Improved Biomass and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Stoves in Puno, Peru: Implications for Promoting Sustained and Exclusive Adoption of Clean Cooking Technologies

PubMed Central

Hollada, Jacqueline; Williams, Kendra N.; Miele, Catherine H.; Danz, David; Harvey, Steven A.; Checkley, William

2017-01-01

Many households in low- and middle-income countries cook with inefficient biomass-burning stoves, which cause high levels of household air pollution and threaten long-term health. Although clean stoves and fuels are available, uptake and consistent use has been low. Using observations and in-depth interviews, we assessed the attitudes, preferences, and beliefs about traditional versus liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stoves in rural Puno, Peru. A total of 31 in-depth interviews were conducted with primary cooks and their families, health workers, community leaders, and improved stove contractors. Six in-home observations of meal preparation were also conducted. Six major barriers to consistent use of clean stoves were identified: (1) perceived differences in food taste and nutrition by stove type; (2) cooking niches filled by different stoves; (3) social norms related to cooking practices; (4) safety concerns; (5) comparative costs of using different stoves; and (6) lack of awareness and concern about long-term health risks. These findings suggest that to successfully reduce household air pollution, clean cooking programs and policies must consider the many factors influencing adoption beyond health, such as cost, taste, fears, and cultural traditions. These factors could be incorporated into community-based and national efforts to scale-up sustained and exclusive adoption of clean cooking. PMID:28208813

Creating the Urban Village: Teaching Pre-Service Teachers about Sustainable Design in Architecture and Community Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vande Zande, Robin

2010-01-01

Sustainable design is a philosophy adopted by people concerned with the health of society and the natural environment. The practice of sustainable design works toward the improvement of the quality of the built environment, while reducing or eradicating the negative impact on the natural environment (McLennan 2004). It is a philosophical approach…

Impact of environmental policies on the adoption of manure management practices in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

PubMed

Savage, Jeff A; Ribaudo, Marc O

2013-11-15

Pollution in the Chesapeake Bay is a problem and has been a focus of federal and state initiatives to reduce nutrient pollution from agriculture and other sources since 1983. In 2010 EPA established a TMDL for the watershed. Producers may voluntarily respond to intense and focused policy scrutiny by adopting best management practices. A detailed analysis of water quality best management practices by animal feeding operations inside and outside the watershed yield insight into this relationship. Our findings support the hypothesis that farmers will adopt water quality measures if links are made clear and there is an expectation of future regulations. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Open adoption: adoptive parents' reactions two decades later.

PubMed

Siegel, Deborah H

2013-01-01

Unlike in the past, most adoption agencies today offer birth parents and adoptive parents the opportunity to share identifying information and have contact with each other. To understand the impacts of different open adoption arrangements, a qualitative descriptive study using a snowball sample of 44 adoptive parents throughout New England began in 1988. Every seven years these parents who adopted infants in open adoptions have participated in tape-recorded interviews to explore their evolving reactions to their open adoption experiences. This article reports the results of in-depth interviews with these parents now that their children have reached young adulthood. This longitudinal research illuminates how open adoptions change over the course of childhood and adolescence, parents' feelings about open adoption, challenges that emerge in their relationships with their children's birth families, how those challenges are managed and viewed, and parents' advice for others living with open adoption and for clinical social work practice and policy. Findings reveal that regardless of the type of openness, these adoptive parents generally feel positive about knowing the birth parents and having contact with them, are comfortable with open adoption, and see it serving the child's best interests.

Documenting Elementary Teachers' Sustainability of Instructional Practices: A Mixed Method Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotner, Bridget A.

2014-01-01

School reform programs focus on making educational changes; however, research on interventions past the funded implementation phase to determine what was sustained is rarely done (Beery, Senter, Cheadle, Greenwald, Pearson, et al., 2005). This study adds to the research on sustainability by determining what instructional practices, if any, of the…

Sustainable yield in theory and practice: bridging scientific and mainstream vernacular.

PubMed

Rudestam, Kirsten; Langridge, Ruth

2014-09-01

Groundwater is a vital resource in California, and the concept of "sustainable yield" is an attempt to determine a metric that can ensure the long-term resilience of groundwater systems. However, its meaning is ambiguous and quantification is challenging. To provide insight into developing a working definition that encompasses the inherent uncertainty and complexity of the term, this paper examines how sustainable yield in groundwater is interpreted by (1) scientists, (2) the courts in groundwater adjudications, (3) state agencies, and (4) local water practitioners. Through qualitative interviews, this paper identifies problems that local water agencies in the state encounter in engaging with sustainable yield as they incorporate the term in groundwater management practices. The authors recommend that any definitions make explicit the human dimensions of, and assumptions embedded in, the use of these terms in groundwater management practices, and they point to the value of participation in this process. © 2014, National Ground Water Association.

Towards understanding healthcare professionals' adoption and use of technologies in clinical practice: Using Qmethodology and models of technology acceptance.

PubMed

Ladan, Muhammad Awwal; Wharrad, Heather; Windle, Richard

2018-03-09

Technologies have globally been recognised to improve productivity across different areas of practice including healthcare. This has been achieved due to the expansion of computers and other forms of information technologies. Despite this advancement, there has also been the growing challenge of the adoption and use of these technologies within practice and especially in healthcare. The evolution of information technologies and more specifically e-health within the healthcare practice has its own barriers and facilitators. This paper describes a pilot study to explore these factors that influence information and technology adoption and use by health professionals in the clinical area in Sub-Saharan Africa. We report on the use of Q-methodology and the models of technology acceptance used in combination for the first time. The methodology used for this study aims to explore the subjectivity of healthcare professionals and present their shared views (factors) on their adoption and use of e-health within clinical practice.

Adoption of recommended practices and basic technologies in a low-income setting

PubMed Central

English, Mike; Gathara, David; Mwinga, Stephen; Ayieko, Philip; Opondo, Charles; Aluvaala, Jalemba; Kihuba, Elesban; Mwaniki, Paul; Were, Fred; Irimu, Grace; Wasunna, Aggrey; Mogoa, Wycliffe; Nyamai, Rachel

2014-01-01

Objective In global health considerable attention is focused on the search for innovations; however, reports tracking their adoption in routine hospital settings from low-income countries are absent. Design and setting We used data collected on a consistent panel of indicators during four separate cross-sectional, hospital surveys in Kenya to track changes over a period of 11 years (2002–2012). Main outcome measures Basic resource availability, use of diagnostics and uptake of recommended practices. Results There appeared little change in availability of a panel of 28 basic resources (median 71% in 2002 to 82% in 2012) although availability of specific feeds for severe malnutrition and vitamin K improved. Use of blood glucose and HIV testing increased but remained inappropriately low throughout. Commonly (malaria) and uncommonly (lumbar puncture) performed diagnostic tests frequently failed to inform practice while pulse oximetry, a simple and cheap technology, was rarely available even in 2012. However, increasing adherence to prescribing guidance occurred during a period from 2006 to 2012 in which efforts were made to disseminate guidelines. Conclusions Findings suggest changes in clinical practices possibly linked to dissemination of guidelines at reasonable scale. However, full availability of basic resources was not attained and major gaps likely exist between the potential and actual impacts of simple diagnostics and technologies representing problems with availability, adoption and successful utilisation. These findings are relevant to debates on scaling up in low-income settings and to those developing novel therapeutic or diagnostic interventions. PMID:24482351

Fourth Workshop on Sustainable Software for Science: Practice and Experiences (WSSSPE4)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Daniel S.; Niemeyer, Kyle E.; Gesing, Sandra; Hwang, Lorraine; Bangerth, Wolfgang; Hettrick, Simon; Idaszak, Ray; Salac, Jean; Hong, Neil Chue; Núñez-Corrales, Santiago; Allen, Alice; Geiger, R. Stuart; Miller, Jonah; Chen, Emily; Dubey, Anshu; Lago, Patricia

This article summarizes motivations, organization, and activities of the Fourth Workshop on Sustainable Software for Science: Practice and Experiences (WSSSPE4). The WSSSPE series promotes sustainable research software by positively impacting principles and best practices, careers, learning, and credit. This article discusses the code of conduct; the mission and vision statements that were drafted at the workshop and finalized shortly after it; the keynote and idea papers, position papers, experience papers, demos, and lightning talks presented during the workshop; and a panel discussion on best practices. The main part of the article discusses the set of working groups that formed during the meeting, along with contact information for readers who may want to join a group. Finally, it discusses a survey of the workshop attendees.

Optimizing technology development and adoption in medical imaging using the principles of innovation diffusion, part II: practical applications.

PubMed

Reiner, Bruce I

2012-02-01

Successful adoption of new technology development can be accentuated by learning and applying the scientific principles of innovation diffusion. This is of particular importance to areas within the medical imaging practice which have lagged in innovation; perhaps, the most notable of which is reporting which has remained relatively stagnant for over a century. While the theoretical advantages of structured reporting have been well documented throughout the medical imaging community, adoption to date has been tepid and largely relegated to the academic and breast imaging communities. Widespread adoption will likely require an alternative approach to innovation, which addresses the heterogeneity and diversity of the practicing radiologist community along with the ever-changing expectations in service delivery. The challenges and strategies for reporting innovation and adoption are discussed, with the goal of adapting and customizing new technology to the preferences and needs of individual end-users.

A Review on the research and practice of city sustainable development indicators and indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Ning

2017-10-01

City sustainable development indicators and indices have become a hot issue in academic research and practical application, alongside the high-speed worldwide urbanization and driven by the actual managing demand. This article is aimed at a clear understanding of the progress in relevant research and practice. This is done by collecting common indicators and indices for city sustainable development and making comparison of the assessment process and contents, so as to find out main obstacles for the development of this research field and explore the direction for efforts to be made next step. The article divides these indicators and indices into two categories: ① indicators serving as single index which can provide an explicit description on the relationship between economic activities and environmental carrying capacity, but have a narrow scope of assessment and use complicated methods to collect and calculate data; ② indices based on indicator systems which can represent multiple processes, could reflect the view of strong sustainability and are easy to use, but can hardly depict the responding relationship between social, environmental and economic changes for city sustainable development or assure the scientific rigor of weight setting. Practices on indicators and indices for city sustainable development was summarized, and its problems were reviewed with China being representative of transitioning countries. According to the review, great progress has been achieved in the research and practice of indicators and indices for city sustainable development, but consistency of theories, rationality of indicators and scientific rigor of methodology are to be improved significantly.

Organizing for Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, William M.; Hamburger, Michael W.

2012-01-01

A successful campus sustainability effort catalyzes broad engagement of the campus community and integration of sustainability principles into the academic and operational components of campus life. Although many universities have embraced sustainability as a new core value, others have been more sluggish in adopting sustainability principles to…

Factors Influencing the Intention of Perinatal Nurses to Adopt the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative in Southeastern Quebec, Canada: Implications for Practice

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Nurses play a major role in promoting the baby-friendly hospital initiative (BFHI), yet the adoption of this initiative by nurses remains a challenge in many countries, despite evidences of its positive impacts on breastfeeding outcomes. The aim of this study was to identify the factors influencing perinatal nurses to adopt the BFHI in their practice. Methods. A sample of 159 perinatal nurses from six hospital-based maternity centers completed a survey based on the theory of planned behavior. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between key independent variables and nurses' intention to adopt the BFHI in their practice. A discriminant analysis of nurses' beliefs helped identify the targets of actions to foster the adoption the BFHI among nurses. Results. The participants are mainly influenced by factors pertaining to their perceived capacity to overcome the strict criteria of the BFHI, the mothers' approval of a nursing practice based on the BFHI, and the antenatal preparation of the mothers. Conclusions. This study provides theory-based evidence for the development of effective interventions aimed at promoting the adoption of the BFHI in nurses' practice. PMID:25101173

Factors influencing the intention of perinatal nurses to adopt the baby-friendly hospital initiative in southeastern quebec, Canada: implications for practice.

PubMed

Chabot, Guylaine; Lacombe, Marie

2014-01-01

Nurses play a major role in promoting the baby-friendly hospital initiative (BFHI), yet the adoption of this initiative by nurses remains a challenge in many countries, despite evidences of its positive impacts on breastfeeding outcomes. The aim of this study was to identify the factors influencing perinatal nurses to adopt the BFHI in their practice. Methods. A sample of 159 perinatal nurses from six hospital-based maternity centers completed a survey based on the theory of planned behavior. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between key independent variables and nurses' intention to adopt the BFHI in their practice. A discriminant analysis of nurses' beliefs helped identify the targets of actions to foster the adoption the BFHI among nurses. Results. The participants are mainly influenced by factors pertaining to their perceived capacity to overcome the strict criteria of the BFHI, the mothers' approval of a nursing practice based on the BFHI, and the antenatal preparation of the mothers. Conclusions. This study provides theory-based evidence for the development of effective interventions aimed at promoting the adoption of the BFHI in nurses' practice.

An Agenda for Research on the Sustainability of Public Health Programs

PubMed Central

Dearing, James W.

2011-01-01

Funders of programs in public health and community health are increasingly concerned about the sustainability of changes they initiate. Despite a recent increase in sustainability research and evaluation, this literature has not developed a widely used paradigm for conducting research that can accumulate into generalizable findings. We provide guidance for research and evaluation of health program sustainability, including definitions and types of sustainability, specifications and measurements of dependent variables, definitions of independent variables or factors that influence sustainability, and suggestions for designs for research and data collection. We suggest viewing sustainability research as a further stage in the translation or dissemination of research-based interventions into practice. This perspective emphasizes ongoing relationships with earlier stages of a broader diffusion framework, including adoption and implementation processes. PMID:21940916

"La Historia de Mi Nombre": A Culturally Sustaining Early Literacy Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nash, Kindel; Panther, Leah; Arce-Boardman, Alicia

2018-01-01

This article features a culturally sustaining practice that many early literacy teachers can adapt and use: "la historia de mi nombre"/the story of my name. The practice is described in the context of a second-grade bi/multilingual class as the Latinx students are learning about their names through culturally authentic literature,…

The sustainability of improvements from continuing professional development in pharmacy practice and learning behaviors.

PubMed

McConnell, Karen J; Delate, Thomas; Newlon, Carey L

2015-04-25

To assess the long-term sustainability of continuing professional development (CPD) training in pharmacy practice and learning behaviors. This was a 3-year posttrial survey of pharmacists who had participated in an unblinded randomized controlled trial of CPD. The online survey assessed participants' perceptions of pharmacy practice, learning behaviors, and sustainability of CPD. Differences between groups on the posttrial survey responses and changes from the trial's follow-up survey to the posttrial survey responses within the intervention group were compared. Of the 91 pharmacists who completed the original trial, 72 (79%) participated in the sustainability survey. Compared to control participants, a higher percentage of intervention participants reported in the sustainability survey that they had utilized the CPD concept (45.7% vs 8.1%) and identified personal learning objectives (68.6% vs 43.2%) during the previous year. Compared to their follow-up survey responses, lower percentages of intervention participants reported identifying personal learning objectives (94.3% vs 68.6%), documenting their learning plan (82.9% vs 22.9%) and participating in learning by doing (42.9% vs 14.3%) in the sustainability survey. In the intervention group, many of the improvements to pharmacy practice items were sustained over the 3-year period but were not significantly different from the control group. Sustainability of a CPD intervention over a 3-year varied. While CPD-trained pharmacists reported utilizing CPD concepts at a higher rate than control pharmacists, their CPD learning behaviors diminished over time.

Adoption of health promotion practices in a cohort of U.S. physician organizations.

PubMed

Bellows, Nicole M; McMenamin, Sara B; Halpin, Helen A

2010-12-01

Physician organizations such as medical groups and independent practice associations can play a vital role in health promotion through the adoption of effective health promotion practices such as health risk assessments, patient reminder systems, and health promotion education programs. To examine organizational changes in a cohort of physician organizations and changing health promotion practices. Data for a cohort of 369 physician organizations in the U.S. with 20 or more physicians were collected between September 2000 and September 2001 and subsequently from March 2006 to March 2007. Paired-sample t tests were used to identify changes in physician organization characteristics and the use of nine health promotion practices between 2000-2001 and 2006-2007. Compared to 2000-2001, the cohort of physician organizations in 2006-2007 was larger, more likely to be owned by physicians; less likely to be owned by a hospital, health system, or HMO; more profitable; and more likely to use electronic information technology. Between 2000-2001 and 2006-2007, physician organizations increased the use of health risk appraisals to contact high-risk patients and increased the use of reminders for eye exams for diabetic patients. During the same time period, physician organizations decreased the use of nutrition and weight-loss health promotion programs. The adding and dropping of programs among physician organizations is due to many factors, including changing regulatory environments, market conditions, populations, and new health promotion technologies. In the coming years, incentives and regulatory policy should encourage the adoption of effective health promotion practices by physician organizations. Copyright © 2010 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Counteracting Educational Injustice with Applied Critical Leadership: Culturally Responsive Practices Promoting Sustainable Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santamaría, Lorri J.; Santamaría, Andrés P.

2015-01-01

This contribution considers educational leadership practice to promote and sustain diversity. Comparative case studies are presented featuring educational leaders in the United States and New Zealand who counter injustice in their practice. The leaders' leadership practices responsive to the diversity presented in their schools offer…

Children's exposure to sustainability practices during the transition from preschool into school and their learning and socioemotional development.

PubMed

Benner, Aprile D; Thornton, Anna; Crosnoe, Robert

2017-01-01

Evidence that the learning gains of preschool fade as children transition into elementary school has led to increased efforts to sustain preschool advantages during this key transitional period. This study explores whether the observed benefits of sustainability practices for a range of child outcomes are explained and/or moderated by family and school mechanisms selecting children into experiencing these practices. Analyses of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort revealed that both family and school factors predicted children's exposure to several PK-3 sustainability practices. PK-3 sustainability practices were associated with reading (but not math) gains and better interpersonal skills (but not fewer externalizing behaviors) following the transition into kindergarten. These links were not conditioned by the selection mechanisms. The findings highlight who is more likely to seek out (at the family level) or offer (at the school level) sustainability practices and how relevant they are to fighting preschool fadeout.

A review on the current issues and barriers of Industrialised Building System (IBS) adoption in Malaysia’s construction industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, M. A. Mohd; Abas, N. H.; Shahidan, S.; Rahmat, M. H.; Suhaini, N. A.; Nagapan, S.; Rahim, R. Abdul

2017-11-01

Malaysia considers the construction industry as one of the main contributors to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, there are some unresolved issues arising from the ongoing and widespread adoption of the conventional method of construction such as the resultant fragmentation of the industry itself; delays in production and delivery time of unnecessary wastages and lack of sustainability practice. Malaysian Government has been continuously encouraging the industry to use, partly or if not wholly, the Industrialized Building System (IBS), which is considered to be an important part of sustainable construction initiative. IBS was introduced to Malaysia as the solution to issues related to dependencies of foreign workers, raising demand for affordable accommodations and improving image, quality and productivity of construction industry. However, the IBS adoption in Malaysia remains low. This paper presents the review of the current issues and barriers of IBS adoption in Malaysian construction industry.

Managerial capacity and adoption of culturally competent practices in outpatient substance abuse treatment organizations.

PubMed

Guerrero, Erick G

2010-12-01

The field of cultural competence is shifting its primary emphasis from enhancement of counselors' skills to management, organizational policy, and processes of care. This study examined managers' characteristics associated with adoption of culturally competent practices in the nation's outpatient substance abuse treatment field. Findings indicate that in 1995, supervisors' cultural sensitivity played the most significant role in adopting practices, such as matching counselors and clients based on race and offering bilingual services. Staff's exposure to cross-cultural training increased from 1995 to 2005. In this period, positive associations were found between managers' cultural sensitivity and connection with the community and staff receiving cross-cultural training and the number of training hours completed. However, exposure to and investment in this training were negatively correlated with managers' formal education. Health administration policy should consider the extent to which the decision makers' education, community involvement, and cultural sensitivity contribute to building culturally responsive systems of care. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Managerial Capacity and Adoption of Culturally Competent Practices in Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Organizations

PubMed Central

Guerrero, Erick G.

2010-01-01

The field of cultural competence is shifting its primary emphasis from enhancement of counselors' skills to management, organizational policy and processes of care. This study examined managers' characteristics associated with adoption of culturally competent practices in the nation's outpatient substance abuse treatment field. Findings indicate that in 1995 supervisors' cultural sensitivity played the most significant role in adopting practices, such as matching counselors and clients based on race and offering bilingual services. Staff's exposure to cross-cultural training increased from 1995 to 2005. In this time period, positive associations were found between managers' cultural sensitivity and connection with the community and staff receiving cross-cultural training and the number of training hours completed. However, exposure to and investment in this training were negatively correlated with managers' formal education. Health administration policy should consider the extent to which decision makers' education, community involvement and cultural sensitivity contributes to building culturally responsive systems of care. PMID:20727703

Making technological innovation work for sustainable development.

PubMed

Anadon, Laura Diaz; Chan, Gabriel; Harley, Alicia G; Matus, Kira; Moon, Suerie; Murthy, Sharmila L; Clark, William C

2016-08-30

This paper presents insights and action proposals to better harness technological innovation for sustainable development. We begin with three key insights from scholarship and practice. First, technological innovation processes do not follow a set sequence but rather emerge from complex adaptive systems involving many actors and institutions operating simultaneously from local to global scales. Barriers arise at all stages of innovation, from the invention of a technology through its selection, production, adaptation, adoption, and retirement. Second, learning from past efforts to mobilize innovation for sustainable development can be greatly improved through structured cross-sectoral comparisons that recognize the socio-technical nature of innovation systems. Third, current institutions (rules, norms, and incentives) shaping technological innovation are often not aligned toward the goals of sustainable development because impoverished, marginalized, and unborn populations too often lack the economic and political power to shape innovation systems to meet their needs. However, these institutions can be reformed, and many actors have the power to do so through research, advocacy, training, convening, policymaking, and financing. We conclude with three practice-oriented recommendations to further realize the potential of innovation for sustainable development: (i) channels for regularized learning across domains of practice should be established; (ii) measures that systematically take into account the interests of underserved populations throughout the innovation process should be developed; and (iii) institutions should be reformed to reorient innovation systems toward sustainable development and ensure that all innovation stages and scales are considered at the outset.

Making technological innovation work for sustainable development

PubMed Central

Anadon, Laura Diaz; Harley, Alicia G.; Matus, Kira; Moon, Suerie; Murthy, Sharmila L.

2016-01-01

This paper presents insights and action proposals to better harness technological innovation for sustainable development. We begin with three key insights from scholarship and practice. First, technological innovation processes do not follow a set sequence but rather emerge from complex adaptive systems involving many actors and institutions operating simultaneously from local to global scales. Barriers arise at all stages of innovation, from the invention of a technology through its selection, production, adaptation, adoption, and retirement. Second, learning from past efforts to mobilize innovation for sustainable development can be greatly improved through structured cross-sectoral comparisons that recognize the socio-technical nature of innovation systems. Third, current institutions (rules, norms, and incentives) shaping technological innovation are often not aligned toward the goals of sustainable development because impoverished, marginalized, and unborn populations too often lack the economic and political power to shape innovation systems to meet their needs. However, these institutions can be reformed, and many actors have the power to do so through research, advocacy, training, convening, policymaking, and financing. We conclude with three practice-oriented recommendations to further realize the potential of innovation for sustainable development: (i) channels for regularized learning across domains of practice should be established; (ii) measures that systematically take into account the interests of underserved populations throughout the innovation process should be developed; and (iii) institutions should be reformed to reorient innovation systems toward sustainable development and ensure that all innovation stages and scales are considered at the outset. PMID:27519800

Dissemination of sustainable irrigation strategies for almond and olive orchards via a participatory approach. Project LIFE+IRRIMAN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Vila, Margarita; Gamero-Ojeda, Pablo; Ascension Carmona, Maria; Berlanga, Jose; Fereres, Elias

2017-04-01

Dissemination of sustainable irrigation strategies for almond and olive orchards via a participatory approach. Project LIFE+IRRIMAN Spain is the world's first and third largest producer of olive oil and almond, respectively. Despite huge efforts in the last years by the production sector towards intensification, cultural issues relative to the traditional rain-fed crop management know how, prevent farmers from adoption of sustainable irrigation management practices. Consequently, even though there has been progress in irrigation management research for these two crops, adoption of modern irrigation techniques by farmers has been slow. Sustainable irrigation strategies for olive and almond orchards are being designed, implemented, validated and disseminated under the framework of the LIFE+ IRRIMAN project, through a participatory approach. The implementation of the LIFE+ IRRIMAN innovative and demonstrative actions has been carried out in an irrigation district of Southern Spain (Genil-Cabra Irrigation Scheme, Andalusia). The approach designed has four phases: i) design and implementation of sustainable irrigation strategies in demonstration farms; ii) dissemination of best irrigation practices which were tested in the initial year throughout the irrigation scheme by the irrigation advisory service; iii) assessment of degree of adoption and re-design of the dissemination strategies; and, iv) based on the results obtained, elaboration of sustainable irrigation guidelines for knowledge transfer in the district at regional and national levels to promote changes in irrigation practices. Participatory approaches have proven to be effective tools for successful irrigation strategies design and diffusion, especially in traditional rain fed crops such as olive and almond trees in the Mediterranean countries. Acknowledgements This work has been funded by the European Union LIFE+ project IRRIMAN (LIFE13 ENV/ES/000539).

Evaluation of a 3year intervention to increase adoption of safer nursery crop production practices.

PubMed

Chapman, Larry J; Newenhouse, Astrid C; Karsh, Ben-Tzion

2010-01-01

We conducted a 3year intervention to increase awareness and adoption of eight more profitable nursery crop production practices that reduced certain traumatic and musculoskeletal injury hazards. We disseminated information to nursery managers across seven states using information channels they were known to rely on (e.g. trade publications, public events, university Extension, other managers). We evaluated rolling, independent, probability samples (n=1200) with mail questionnaires before the intervention and after each of 3 intervention years. We also evaluated samples (n=250) from a comparison group of New Zealand nursery managers. The intervention was associated with increased awareness of four of the eight practices among US managers after year 3 compared to their baseline: zippers (20 vs. 32%, padoption. New Zealand manager awareness was increased for hoes after year 2 compared to their baseline (35 vs. 52%, padoption.

Facing Global Sustainability Issues: Teachers' Experiences of Their Own Practices in Environmental and Sustainability Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sund, Louise

2016-01-01

Over the last 20 years, international organisations and national governments have stressed the need for education policies to be (re)oriented towards social change, sustainability and preparing students for life in a global society. This area of pedagogy is not problem free. When policy is turned into practice teachers need to take a number of…

An economic case for early adoption of preventative practices for management of grapevine trunk diseases

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The trunk diseases Botryosphaeria dieback, Esca, Eutypa dieback, and Phomopsis dieback, significantly decrease yields and vineyard longevity in California. Despite high disease prevalence and substantial yield impacts, most growers routinely wait to adopt preventative practices until vineyards are ...

AACAP 2005 Research Forum: Speeding the Adoption of Evidence-Based Practice in Pediatric Psychiatry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

March, John S.; Szatmari, Peter; Bukstein, Oscar; Chrisman, Allan; Kondo, Douglas; Hamilton, John D.; Kremer, Charlotte M. E.; Kratochvil, Christopher J.

2007-01-01

Objectives: At the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), the Academy's Workgroup on Research conducted a Research Forum entitled "Increasing Research Literacy Through the Adoption of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in Pediatric Psychiatry." Method: Forum participants focused on speeding the adoption…

A Practical Approach to Enhancing a Healthy School Community by Adopting the WSCC Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moyer, Matthew T.; Foley, John T.; Hodges, Bonni C.; Pace, Jill

2016-01-01

The introduction of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model has challenged professionals working in school health to inspire school districts to embrace WSCC's philosophical and practical components. Adopting the WSCC model to foster wellness priorities in school districts encourages healthy people and healthy environments to…

Maintaining Perioperative Normothermia: Sustaining an Evidence-Based Practice Improvement Project.

PubMed

Levin, Rona F; Wright, Fay; Pecoraro, Kathleen; Kopec, Wendy

2016-02-01

Unintentional perioperative hypothermia has been shown to cause serious patient complications and, thus, to increase health care costs. In 2009, an evidence-based practice improvement project produced a significant decrease in unintentional perioperative hypothermia in colorectal surgical patients through monitoring of OR ambient room temperature. Project leaders engaged all interdisciplinary stakeholders in the original project, which facilitated the sustainability of the intervention method. An important aspect of sustainability is ongoing monitoring and evaluation of a new intervention method. Therefore, continued evaluation of outcomes of the protocol developed in 2009 was scheduled at specific time points after the initial small test of change with colorectal patients. This article focuses on how attention to sustainability factors during implementation of an improvement project led to the sustainability of a protocol for monitoring OR ambient room temperature with all types of surgical patients five years after the initial project. Copyright © 2016 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Greening Social Work Education: Teaching Environmental Rights and Sustainability in Community Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Androff, David; Fike, Chris; Rorke, John

2017-01-01

Green issues such as protecting environmental rights and promoting sustainability are growing in importance to social work practice but are largely ignored in social work curricula. This article uses comparative case studies of three student-led community practice projects to demonstrate how environmental rights can be incorporated into social…

Measurement Invariance of an Instrument Assessing Sustainability of School-Based Universal Behavior Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercer, Sterett H.; McIntosh, Kent; Strickland-Cohen, M. Kathleen; Horner, Robert H.

2014-01-01

Objective: The purpose of the study was to examine the extent to which the School-wide Universal Behavior Sustainability Index: School Teams (SUBSIST; McIntosh, Doolittle, Vincent, Horner, & Ervin, 2009), a measure of school and district contextual factors that promote the sustainability of school practices, demonstrated measurement invariance…

Measurement Invariance of an Instrument Assessing Sustainability of School-Based Universal Behavior Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercer, Sterett H.; McIntosh, Kent; Strickland-Cohen, M. Kathleen; Horner, Robert H.

2014-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine the extent to which the School-Wide Universal Behavior Sustainability Index: School Teams (SUBSIST; McIntosh, Doolittle, Vincent, Horner, & Ervin, 2009), a measure of school and district contextual factors that promote the sustainability of school practices, demonstrated measurement invariance across…

Human resources for health strategies adopted by providers in resource-limited settings to sustain long-term delivery of ART: a mixed-methods study from Uganda.

PubMed

Zakumumpa, Henry; Taiwo, Modupe Oladunni; Muganzi, Alex; Ssengooba, Freddie

2016-10-19

Human resources for health (HRH) constraints are a major barrier to the sustainability of antiretroviral therapy (ART) scale-up programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. Many prior approaches to HRH constraints have taken a top-down trend of generalized global strategies and policy guidelines. The objective of the study was to examine the human resources for health strategies adopted by front-line providers in Uganda to sustain ART delivery beyond the initial ART scale-up phase between 2004 and 2009. A two-phase mixed-methods approach was adopted. In the first phase, a survey of a nationally representative sample of health facilities (n = 195) across Uganda was conducted. The second phase involved in-depth interviews (n = 36) with ART clinic managers and staff of 6 of the 195 health facilities purposively selected from the first study phase. Quantitative data was analysed based on descriptive statistics, and qualitative data was analysed by coding and thematic analysis. The identified strategies were categorized into five themes: (1) providing monetary and non-monetary incentives to health workers on busy ART clinic days; (2) workload reduction through spacing ART clinic appointments; (3) adopting training workshops in ART management as a motivation strategy for health workers; (4) adopting non-physician-centred staffing models; and (5) devising ART program leadership styles that enhanced health worker commitment. Facility-level strategies for responding to HRH constraints are feasible and can contribute to efforts to increase country ownership of HIV programs in resource-limited settings. Consideration of the human resources for health strategies identified in the study by ART program planners and managers could enhance the long-term sustainment of ART programs by providers in resource-limited settings.

Identifying economic hurdles to early adoption of trunk disease preventative practices in California winegrape vineyards

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Trunk diseases poses a serious threat to winegrape growers. Despite high prevalence and substantial consequences, growers routinely wait to adopt field-tested, preventative practices (delayed pruning, double pruning, or application of pruning wound protectant) until symptomatic vines appear (~10 yea...

What can we learn from corporate sustainability reporting? Deriving propositions for research and practice from over 9,500 corporate sustainability reports published between 1999 and 2015 using topic modelling technique

PubMed Central

vom Brocke, Jan

2017-01-01

Organizations are increasingly using sustainability reports to inform their stakeholders and the public about their sustainability practices. We apply topic modelling to 9,514 sustainability reports published between 1999 and 2015 in order to identify common topics and, thus, the most common practices described in these reports. In particular, we identify forty-two topics that reflect sustainability and focus on the coverage and trends of economic, environmental, and social sustainability topics. Among the first to analyse such a large amount of data on organizations’ sustainability reporting, the paper serves as an example of how to apply natural language processing as a strategy of inquiry in sustainability research. The paper also derives from the data analysis ten propositions for future research and practice that are of immediate value for organizations and researchers. PMID:28403158

What can we learn from corporate sustainability reporting? Deriving propositions for research and practice from over 9,500 corporate sustainability reports published between 1999 and 2015 using topic modelling technique.

PubMed

Székely, Nadine; Vom Brocke, Jan

2017-01-01

Organizations are increasingly using sustainability reports to inform their stakeholders and the public about their sustainability practices. We apply topic modelling to 9,514 sustainability reports published between 1999 and 2015 in order to identify common topics and, thus, the most common practices described in these reports. In particular, we identify forty-two topics that reflect sustainability and focus on the coverage and trends of economic, environmental, and social sustainability topics. Among the first to analyse such a large amount of data on organizations' sustainability reporting, the paper serves as an example of how to apply natural language processing as a strategy of inquiry in sustainability research. The paper also derives from the data analysis ten propositions for future research and practice that are of immediate value for organizations and researchers.

A cross-sectional analysis of reported corporate environmental sustainability practices.

PubMed

Cowan, Dallas M; Dopart, Pamela; Ferracini, Tyler; Sahmel, Jennifer; Merryman, Kimberly; Gaffney, Shannon; Paustenbach, Dennis J

2010-12-01

The concept of sustainability evolved throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but was formally described by the 27 principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development in 1992. Despite the passage of nearly 20years, to date there are no uniform set of federal rules, regulations, or guidelines specifically governing the environmental aspects of sustainability practices or related requirements in the United States. In this benchmark analysis, we have collected information on the sustainability programs of the five largest US companies in each of the 26 industrial sectors [based on the Forbes Global 2000 through 2009 (n=130)]. For each company, we reviewed the most recent corporate sustainability, citizenship, or responsibility report, limiting our scope to environmental components, if available. Ten criteria were identified and analyzed, including leadership, reporting, external review, certification, and individual components of environmental sustainability programs. With respect to the prevalence of sustainability components between various business sectors, we found that the Drugs and Biotechnology (87%), Household and Personal Products (87%) and Oil and Gas Operations (87%) industries had the most comprehensive environmental sustainability programs. Using the nine components of environmental sustainability as a benchmark, we identified four key components as the characteristics of the most comprehensive environmental sustainability programs. These were (1) empowering leadership with a commitment to sustainability (80%), (2) standardized reporting (87%), (3) third-party evaluation of the sustainability programs (73%), and (4) obtaining ISO 14001 certification (73%). We found that many firms shaped their own definition of sustainability and developed their associated sustainability programs based on their sector, stakeholder interests, products or services, and business model. We noted an emerging area that we have called product sustainability - one in which

Ideals, practices, and future prospects of stakeholder involvement in sustainability science

PubMed Central

Vermaßen, Hannah; Ellenbeck, Saskia

2017-01-01

This paper evaluates current stakeholder involvement (SI) practices in science through a web-based survey among scholars and researchers engaged in sustainability or transition research. It substantiates previous conceptual work with evidence from practice by building on four ideal types of SI in science. The results give an interesting overview of the varied landscape of SI in sustainability science, ranging from the kinds of topics scientists work on with stakeholders, over scientific trade-offs that arise in the field, to improvements scientists wish for. Furthermore, the authors describe a discrepancy between scientists’ ideals and practices when working with stakeholders. On the conceptual level, the data reflect that the democratic type of SI is the predominant one concerning questions on the understanding of science, the main goal, the stage of involvement in the research process, and the science–policy interface. The fact that respondents expressed agreement to several types shows they are guided by multiple and partly conflicting ideals when working with stakeholders. We thus conclude that more conceptual exchange between practitioners, as well as more qualitative research on the concepts behind practices, is needed to better understand the stakeholder–scientist nexus. PMID:29162698

TRADITIONAL PRACTICES ADOPTED BY JORDANIAN MOTHERS WHEN CARING FOR THEIR INFANTS IN RURAL AREAS

PubMed Central

Al-Sagarat, Ahmad Yahya; Al-Kharabsheh, Amani

2017-01-01

Background: Traditional practices are commonly present within the Jordanian society, especailly those concerned with infant’s care. Some of these practices might be harmful and thus health professioanls are required to substitute these practices with safe and healthy ones. The goal of this study is to determine the traditional practices adopted by Jordanian mothers when caring for their infants in rural areas. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study design using qualitative method was utilized in this study. A Purposive sample of 30 mothers was recruited from four rural regions in outskirts of Amman the capital city of Jordan. Results: Mothers had traditional infant’s care practices pertinent to bathing of babies, including the salting, swaddling, care of the umbilical cord and jaundice. Conclusion: Traditional practices are still common in Jordan; some of these behaviors can cause health risks. While health consequences of some of the traditional practices are still not clear, health professianls, especially nurses, are required to intervene by changing policies and education. PMID:28331910

Adopt to sustain: The effect of biophysical and socioeconomic context on the ability of two contrasting U.S. agroecosystems to respond to changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papanicolaou, T.

2015-12-01

Increased demand for food, feed, fuel and fiber in U.S. agroecosystems has deleterious effects on the environment. Gauging the responses of these agroecosystems in the presence of extreme events and new market demands requires a fresh approach. This approach requires better comprehension of the interactions and feedback processes that either sustain or deplete both natural (e.g., soil productivity) and human (e.g., net income) capital. Because soil quality defines land productivity and long-term prosperity, we focus on the cascading effects that soil quality has on other ecosystem properties, profit, farmer decision making in mitigating soil degradation, and development of environmental policies. We argue that land use decision-making must not only be strictly based on socioeconomic and environmental criteria, but should also consider farmer/ farm characteristics, personal beliefs, and the support network that is needed for promoting and implementing conservation practices. Current approaches for adopting conservation do not fit into this paradigm. We develop an Agent Based Model Framework that incorporates novel aspects of ecological, socioeconomic and behavioral modeling to facilitate interactions of the farmer and its land through a multi-objective, maximization utility function. This function is continuously informed and updated by the improved modeling framework. This study is developing measures of sustainability for lags, hysteresis, tipping points, and adaptive capacity. We examine the complex relationship between farmer decision-making and the landscape in two contrasting systems in Iowa and Tennessee with unique distributions of characteristics in terms of climate, soil properties, and landscape patterns that regulate not only the type of farming practiced, but also the degree of soil erosion in each system. Central to this investigation is identifying and quantifying trade-offs among non-pecuniary and pecuniary objectives given alternative scenarios

Physicians in nonprimary care and small practices and those age 55 and older lag in adopting electronic health record systems.

PubMed

Decker, Sandra L; Jamoom, Eric W; Sisk, Jane E

2012-05-01

By 2011 more than half of all office-based physicians were using electronic health record systems, but only about one-third of those physicians had systems with basic features such as the abilities to record information on patient demographics, view laboratory and imaging results, maintain problem lists, compile clinical notes, or manage computerized prescription ordering. Basic features are considered important to realize the potential of these systems to improve health care. We found that although trends in adoption of electronic health record systems across geographic regions converged from 2002 through 2011, adoption continued to lag for non-primary care specialists, physicians age fifty-five and older, and physicians in small (1-2 providers) and physician-owned practices. Federal policies are specifically aimed at encouraging primary care providers and small practices to achieve widespread use of electronic health records. To achieve their nationwide adoption, federal policies may also have to focus on encouraging adoption among non-primary care specialists, as well as addressing persistent gaps in the use of electronic record systems by practice size, physician age, and ownership status.

Cultural Tourism in Transnational Adoption: "Staged Authenticity" and Its Implications for Adopted Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quiroz, Pamela Anne

2012-01-01

The discursive practices of adoptive parents in two online transnational adoption forums (2006-2008) and observations of five international adoption workshops suggest that what Heather Jacobson described as "culture keeping", the cultural socialization of children that retains a sense of native group identity, is more aptly characterized as…

Using Survival Analysis to Understand Patterns of Sustainment within a System-Driven Implementation of Multiple Evidence-Based Practices for Children's Mental Health Services.

PubMed

Brookman-Frazee, Lauren; Zhan, Chanel; Stadnick, Nicole; Sommerfeld, David; Roesch, Scott; Aarons, Gregory A; Innes-Gomberg, Debbie; Bando, Lillian; Lau, Anna S

2018-01-01

Evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation requires substantial resources in workforce training; yet, failure to achieve long-term sustainment can result in poor return on investment. There is limited research on EBP sustainment in mental health services long after implementation. This study examined therapists' continued vs. discontinued practice delivery based on administrative claims for reimbursement for six EBPs [Cognitive Behavioral Interventions for Trauma in Schools (CBITS), Child-Parent Psychotherapy, Managing and Adapting Practices (MAP), Seeking Safety (SS), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT), and Positive Parenting Program] adopted in a system-driven implementation effort in public mental health services for children. Our goal was to identify agency and therapist factors associated with a sustained EBP delivery. Survival analysis (i.e., Kaplan-Meier survival functions, log-rank tests, and Cox regressions) was used to analyze 19 fiscal quarters (i.e., approximately 57 months) of claims data from the Prevention and Early Intervention Transformation within the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. These data comprised 2,322,389 claims made by 6,873 therapists across 88 agencies. Survival time was represented by the time elapsed from therapists' first to final claims for each practice and for any of the six EBPs. Results indicate that therapists continued to deliver at least one EBP for a mean survival time of 21.73 months (median = 18.70). When compared to a survival curve of the five other EBPs, CBITS, SS, and TP demonstrated a higher risk of delivery discontinuation, whereas MAP and TF-CBT demonstrated a lower risk of delivery discontinuation. A multivariate Cox regression model revealed that agency (centralization and service setting) and therapist (demographics, discipline, and case-mix characteristics) characteristics were significantly associated with risk of delivery discontinuation for any of the six EBPs. This

Documenting Elementary Teachers' Sustainability of Instructional Practices: A Mixed Method Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cotner, Bridget A.

School reform programs focus on making educational changes; however, research on interventions past the funded implementation phase to determine what was sustained is rarely done (Beery, Senter, Cheadle, Greenwald, Pearson, et al., 2005). This study adds to the research on sustainability by determining what instructional practices, if any, of the Teaching SMARTRTM professional development program that was implemented from 2005--2008 in elementary schools with teachers in grades third through eighth were continued, discontinued, or adapted five years post-implementation (in 2013). Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions: What do teachers who participated in Teaching SMARTRTM and district administrators share about the sustainability of Teaching SMARTRTM practices in 2013? What teaching strategies do teachers who participated in the program (2005--2008) use in their science classrooms five years postimplementation (2013)? What perceptions about the roles of females in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) do teachers who participated in the program (2005--2008) have five years later (2013)? And, What classroom management techniques do the teachers who participated in the program (2005--2008) use five years post implementation (2013)? A mixed method approach was used to answer these questions. Quantitative teacher survey data from 23 teachers who participated in 2008 and 2013 were analyzed in SAS v. 9.3. Descriptive statistics were reported and paired t-tests were conducted to determine mean differences by survey factors identified from an exploratory factor analysis, principal axis factoring, and parallel analysis conducted with teacher survey baseline data (2005). Individual teacher change scores (2008 and 2013) for identified factors were computed using the Reliable Change Index statistic. Qualitative data consisted of interviews with two district administrators and three teachers who responded to the survey in both

The Impact of Adoption on Members of the Triad. Adoption and Ethics, Volume 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freundlich, Madelyn

The controversies in adoption have extended across a spectrum of policy and practice issues, and although the issues have become clear, resolution has not been achieved nor has consensus developed regarding a framework on which to improve the quality of adoption policy and practice. This book is the third in a series to use an ethics-based…

Earth Science Informatics Community Requirements for Improving Sustainable Science Software Practices: User Perspectives and Implications for Organizational Action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Downs, R. R.; Lenhardt, W. C.; Robinson, E.

2014-12-01

Science software is integral to the scientific process and must be developed and managed in a sustainable manner to ensure future access to scientific data and related resources. Organizations that are part of the scientific enterprise, as well as members of the scientific community who work within these entities, can contribute to the sustainability of science software and to practices that improve scientific community capabilities for science software sustainability. As science becomes increasingly digital and therefore, dependent on software, improving community practices for sustainable science software will contribute to the sustainability of science. Members of the Earth science informatics community, including scientific data producers and distributers, end-user scientists, system and application developers, and data center managers, use science software regularly and face the challenges and the opportunities that science software presents for the sustainability of science. To gain insight on practices needed for the sustainability of science software from the science software experiences of the Earth science informatics community, an interdisciplinary group of 300 community members were asked to engage in simultaneous roundtable discussions and report on their answers to questions about the requirements for improving scientific software sustainability. This paper will present an analysis of the issues reported and the conclusions offered by the participants. These results provide perspectives for science software sustainability practices and have implications for actions that organizations and their leadership can initiate to improve the sustainability of science software.

Using multi-stakeholder alliances to accelerate the adoption of health information technology by physician practices.

PubMed

McHugh, Megan; Shi, Yunfeng; McClellan, Sean R; Shortell, Stephen M; Fareed, Naleef; Harvey, Jillian; Ramsay, Patricia; Casalino, Lawrence P

2016-06-01

Multi-stakeholder alliances - groups of payers, purchasers, providers, and consumers that work together to address local health goals - are frequently used to improve health care quality within communities. Under the Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) initiative, multi-stakeholder alliances were given funding and technical assistance to encourage the use of health information technology (HIT) to improve quality. We investigated whether HIT adoption was greater in AF4Q communities than in other communities. Drawing upon survey data from 782 small and medium-sized physician practices collected as part of the National Study of Physician Organizations during July 2007 - March 2009 and January 2012-November 2013, we used weighted fixed effects models to detect relative changes in four measures representing three domains: use of electronic health records (EHRs), receipt of electronic information from hospitals, and patients' online access to their medical records. Improvement on a composite EHR adoption measure was 7.6 percentage points greater in AF4Q communities than in non-AF4Q communities, and the increase in the probability of adopting all five EHR capabilities was 23.9 percentage points greater in AF4Q communities. There was no significant difference in improvement in receipt of electronic information from hospitals or patients' online access to medical records between AF4Q and non-AF4Q communities. By linking HIT to quality improvement efforts, AF4Q alliances may have facilitated greater adoption of EHRs in small and medium-sized physician practices, but not receipt of electronic information from hospitals or patients' online access to medical records. Multi-stakeholder alliances charged with promoting HIT to advance quality improvement may accelerate adoption of EHRs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Longitudinal adoption rates of complex decision support tools in primary care.

PubMed

McCullagh, Lauren; Mann, Devin; Rosen, Lisa; Kannry, Joseph; McGinn, Thomas

2014-12-01

Translating research findings into practice promises to standardise care. Translation includes the integration of evidence-based guidelines at the point of care, discerning the best methods to disseminate research findings and models to sustain the implementation of best practices.By applying usability testing to clinical decision support(CDS) design, overall adoption rates of 60% can be realised.What has not been examined is how long adoption rates are sustained and the characteristics associated with long-term use. We conducted secondary analysis to decipher the factors impacting sustained use of CD Stools. This study was a secondary data analysis from a clinical trial conducted at an academic institution in New York City. Study data was identified patients electronic health records (EHR). The trial was to test the implementation of an integrated clinical prediction rule(iCPR) into the EHR. The primary outcome variable was iCPR tool acceptance of the tool. iCPR tool completion and iCPR smartest completion were additional outcome variables of interest. The secondary aim was to examine user characteristics associated with iCPR tool use in later time periods. Characteristics of interest included age, resident year, use of electronic health records (yes/no) and use of best practice alerts (BPA) (yes/no). Generalised linear mixed models (GLiMM) were used to compare iCPR use over time for each outcome of interest: namely, iCPR acceptance, iCPR completion and iCPR smartset completion.GLiMM was also used to examine resident characteristics associated with iCPR tool use in later time periods; specifically, intermediate and long-term (ie, 90+days). The tool was accepted, on average, 82.18% in the first 90 days (short-term period). The use decreases to 56.07% and 45.61% in intermediate and long-term time periods, respectively. There was a significant association between iCPR tool completion and time periods(p<0.0001). There was no significant difference in iCPR tool

Information Technology Adoption for Service Innovation Practices and Competitive Advantage: The Case of Financial Firms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, J. S.; Tsou, H. T.

2007-01-01

Background: The importance of information technology to current business practices has long drawn the attention of practitioners and academicians. Aim: This paper aims to broaden understanding about service innovation as a critical organizational capability through which information technology adoption influences the competitive advantage of a…

People adopt optimal policies in simple decision-making, after practice and guidance.

PubMed

Evans, Nathan J; Brown, Scott D

2017-04-01

Organisms making repeated simple decisions are faced with a tradeoff between urgent and cautious strategies. While animals can adopt a statistically optimal policy for this tradeoff, findings about human decision-makers have been mixed. Some studies have shown that people can optimize this "speed-accuracy tradeoff", while others have identified a systematic bias towards excessive caution. These issues have driven theoretical development and spurred debate about the nature of human decision-making. We investigated a potential resolution to the debate, based on two factors that routinely differ between human and animal studies of decision-making: the effects of practice, and of longer-term feedback. Our study replicated the finding that most people, by default, are overly cautious. When given both practice and detailed feedback, people moved rapidly towards the optimal policy, with many participants reaching optimality with less than 1 h of practice. Our findings have theoretical implications for cognitive and neural models of simple decision-making, as well as methodological implications.

Children’s exposure to sustainability practices during the transition from preschool into school and their learning and socioemotional development

PubMed Central

Benner, Aprile D.; Thornton, Anna; Crosnoe, Robert

2017-01-01

Evidence that the learning gains of preschool fade as children transition into elementary school has led to increased efforts to sustain preschool advantages during this key transitional period. This study explores whether the observed benefits of sustainability practices for a range of child outcomes are explained and/or moderated by family and school mechanisms selecting children into experiencing these practices. Analyses of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort revealed that both family and school factors predicted children’s exposure to several PK-3 sustainability practices. PK-3 sustainability practices were associated with reading (but not math) gains and better interpersonal skills (but not fewer externalizing behaviors) following the transition into kindergarten. These links were not conditioned by the selection mechanisms. The findings highlight who is more likely to seek out (at the family level) or offer (at the school level) sustainability practices and how relevant they are to fighting preschool fadeout. PMID:28794610

Educators Adopting M-Learning: Is It Sustainable in Higher Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanderson, Nicole; Hanbidge, Alice Schmidt

2017-01-01

Effectively integrating m-learning into higher education necessitates consideration for both student and educator adoption factors. Data collected from 309 Canadian university participants in a Mobile Information Literacy (MIL) research study identified specific student m-learning adoption factors and substantiated those in the literature (Navarro…

Best Practices Models for Implementing, Sustaining, and Using Instructional School Gardens in California

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazzard, Eric L.; Moreno, Elizabeth; Beall, Deborah L.; Zidenberg-Cherr, Sheri

2011-01-01

To ascertain best practices for schools implementing or sustaining instructional school gardens by interviewing key members in 10 schools with exemplary instructional school gardens programs in California. Practices of schools with exemplary instructional school gardens programs were analyzed by constant comparative analysis using qualitative data…

The Implementation of Sustainability Practices in Portuguese Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aleixo, Ana Marta; Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Leal, Susana

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to analyze the current state of implementation of sustainability development (SD) in Portuguese higher education institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire was developed to measure the level of implementation of SD practices in HEIs as well as the number of rankings, certifications and…

Measurement invariance of an instrument assessing sustainability of school-based universal behavior practices.

PubMed

Mercer, Sterett H; McIntosh, Kent; Strickland-Cohen, M Kathleen; Horner, Robert H

2014-06-01

The purpose of the study was to examine the extent to which the School-Wide Universal Behavior Sustainability Index: School Teams (SUBSIST; McIntosh, Doolittle, Vincent, Horner, & Ervin, 2009), a measure of school and district contextual factors that promote the sustainability of school practices, demonstrated measurement invariance across groups of schools that differed in length of time implementing school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS; Sugai & Horner, 2009), student ethnic composition, and student socioeconomic status (SES). School PBIS team members and district coaches representing 860 schools in 14 U.S. states completed the SUBSIST. Findings supported strong measurement invariance, for all items except 1, of a model with two school-level factors (School Priority and Team Use of Data) and 2 district-level factors (District Priority and Capacity Building) across groups of schools at initial implementation, institutionalization, and sustainability phases of PBIS implementation. Schools in the sustainability phase were rated significantly higher on School Priority and Team Use of Data than schools in initial implementation. Strong measurement invariance held across groups of schools that differed in student ethnicity and SES. The findings regarding measurement invariance are important for future longitudinal investigations of factors that may promote the sustained implementation of school practices. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Adoption of a novel surgical innovation into clinical practice: protocol for a qualitative systematic review examining surgeon views.

PubMed

Lewis, Thomas L; Furness, Hugh N; Miller, George W; Parsons, Nicholas; Seers, Kate; Underwood, Martin; Metcalfe, Andrew J

2018-04-17

Efficient adoption of clinically effective novel surgical innovations has great potential benefits for patients. Factors affecting the adoption of surgical innovation are not well understood and proposed models of adoption do not accurately correlate with historical evidence. This protocol is for a systematic review that aims to identify the qualitative evidence relating to surgeon views regarding the adoption of novel surgical innovation into clinical practice. A systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidance will be performed. Two independent reviewers will search the following databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews. Inclusion criteria are studies which report on the views of surgeons who adopt a novel surgical innovation into clinical practice. Each article will be screened for inclusion and assessed according to a Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Data will be synthesised and analysed according to thematic analysis. Given the anticipated yield of a small heterogeneous body of evidence meeting the eligibility criteria for the review, a narrative-based summary is planned. This review does not require formal ethical approval as it does not involve direct patient contact or patient-identifiable data. The results of this review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences. The results will also inform an empirical qualitative study exploring surgeon and other stakeholder views regarding the introduction of novel surgical technology and procedures into clinical practice. CRD42017076715. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Ideals, practices, and future prospects of stakeholder involvement in sustainability science.

PubMed

Mielke, Jahel; Vermaßen, Hannah; Ellenbeck, Saskia

2017-12-12

This paper evaluates current stakeholder involvement (SI) practices in science through a web-based survey among scholars and researchers engaged in sustainability or transition research. It substantiates previous conceptual work with evidence from practice by building on four ideal types of SI in science. The results give an interesting overview of the varied landscape of SI in sustainability science, ranging from the kinds of topics scientists work on with stakeholders, over scientific trade-offs that arise in the field, to improvements scientists wish for. Furthermore, the authors describe a discrepancy between scientists' ideals and practices when working with stakeholders. On the conceptual level, the data reflect that the democratic type of SI is the predominant one concerning questions on the understanding of science, the main goal, the stage of involvement in the research process, and the science-policy interface. The fact that respondents expressed agreement to several types shows they are guided by multiple and partly conflicting ideals when working with stakeholders. We thus conclude that more conceptual exchange between practitioners, as well as more qualitative research on the concepts behind practices, is needed to better understand the stakeholder-scientist nexus. Copyright © 2017 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

AHCPR clinical practice guideline on surgical pain management: adoption and outcomes.

PubMed

Devine, E C; Bevsek, S A; Brubakken, K; Johnson, B P; Ryan, P; Sliefert, M K; Rodgers, B

1999-04-01

Pain management practices and short-term patient outcomes in nine acute care hospitals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were studied at two points in time. One-and-a-half years after the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research's (AHCPR) Clinical Practice Guideline on Acute Pain Management was published, data from 330 adult surgical patients were collected (Time I). These data were contrasted with data from 373 adult surgical patients collected 2 years later (Time II). There were significant increases in the percentage of patients who reported being taught how to report pain using a pain rating scale and about setting a pain goal preoperatively; in the percentage of patient hospital records with at least one documented numeric pain rating; and in the percentage of patients who received analgesics by intravenous administration. However, pain management practices continued to differ from recommendations in the AHCPR guideline. No significant improvement was noted in the short-term outcomes of patient-rated pain or patient satisfaction with pain management. Availability of well-published guidelines alone may be insufficient to ensure comprehensive adoption of guidelines that are multidimensional in nature and to obtain improvements in patient outcome.

Code of Sustainable Practice in Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety for Corporations.

PubMed

Castleman, Barry; Allen, Barbara; Barca, Stefania; Bohme, Susanna Rankin; Henry, Emmanuel; Kaur, Amarjit; Massard-Guilbaud, Genvieve; Melling, Joseph; Menendez-Navarro, Alfredo; Renfrew, Daniel; Santiago, Myrna; Sellers, Christopher; Tweedale, Geoffrey; Zalik, Anna; Zavestoski, Stephen

2008-01-01

At a conference held at Stony Brook University in December 2007, "Dangerous Trade: Histories of Industrial Hazard across a Globalizing World," participants endorsed a Code of Sustainable Practice in Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety for Corporations. The Code outlines practices that would ensure corporations enact the highest health and environmentally protective measures in all the locations in which they operate. Corporations should observe international guidelines on occupational exposure to air contaminants, plant safety, air and water pollutant releases, hazardous waste disposal practices, remediation of polluted sites, public disclosure of toxic releases, product hazard labeling, sale of products for specific uses, storage and transport of toxic intermediates and products, corporate safety and health auditing, and corporate environmental auditing. Protective measures in all locations should be consonant with the most protective measures applied anywhere in the world, and should apply to the corporations' subsidiaries, contractors, suppliers, distributors, and licensees of technology. Key words: corporations, sustainability, environmental protection, occupational health, code of practice.

Targeting Erosion Control: Adoption of Erosion Control Practices. A Report from a National Research Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Peter; And Others

Research analyzed adoption of erosion control practices by farm operators in two counties in each of four states: Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, and Washington. Analysis was based on farm survey data and technical and financial assistance information from county Soil Conservation Service (SCS) and Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service…

Openness in Adoption: Exploring Family Connections.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grotevant, Harold D.; McRoy, Ruth G.

Noting social and demographic changes provoking a trend toward openness in adoption practice, this book presents the findings from a nationwide study examining the impact of variations in openness in adoption on participants in the adoptive kinship network: adopted children, adoptive parents, and the children's birth parents. The first chapter of…

An Examination of Growing Trends in Land Tenure and Conservation Practice Adoption: Results from a Farmer Survey in Iowa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varble, Sarah; Secchi, Silvia; Druschke, Caroline Gottschalk

2016-02-01

Tenants and part-owners are farming an increasing number of acres in the United States, while full-owners are farming fewer acres. This shift in ownership is a potential cause for concern because some previous research indicated that tenant and part-owner farmers were less likely to adopt conservation practices than farmers who owned the land they farmed. If that trend persists, ownership changes would signal a national drop in conservation adoption. Here we examine this issue using a survey of agricultural operators in the Clear Creek watershed in Iowa, a state with intensive agricultural production. We compare adoption of conservation practices, and preferences for conservation information sources and communication channels, between farmers who rent some portion of the land they farm (tenants and part-owners) and farmers who own all of the land they farm (full-owners). We find that renters are more likely to practice conservation tillage than full-owners, though they are less likely to rotate crops. In addition, renters report using federal government employees (specifically, Natural Resource Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency) as their primary sources of conservation information, while full-owners most frequently rely on neighbors, friends, and County Extension. These findings are significant for conservation policy because, unlike some past research, they indicate that renters are not resistant to all types of conservation practices, echoing recent studies finding an increase in conservation adoption among non-full-owners. Our results emphasize the importance of government conservation communication and can inform outreach efforts by helping tailor effective, targeted conservation strategies for owners and renters.

An Examination of Growing Trends in Land Tenure and Conservation Practice Adoption: Results from a Farmer Survey in Iowa.

PubMed

Varble, Sarah; Secchi, Silvia; Druschke, Caroline Gottschalk

2016-02-01

Tenants and part-owners are farming an increasing number of acres in the United States, while full-owners are farming fewer acres. This shift in ownership is a potential cause for concern because some previous research indicated that tenant and part-owner farmers were less likely to adopt conservation practices than farmers who owned the land they farmed. If that trend persists, ownership changes would signal a national drop in conservation adoption. Here we examine this issue using a survey of agricultural operators in the Clear Creek watershed in Iowa, a state with intensive agricultural production. We compare adoption of conservation practices, and preferences for conservation information sources and communication channels, between farmers who rent some portion of the land they farm (tenants and part-owners) and farmers who own all of the land they farm (full-owners). We find that renters are more likely to practice conservation tillage than full-owners, though they are less likely to rotate crops. In addition, renters report using federal government employees (specifically, Natural Resource Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency) as their primary sources of conservation information, while full-owners most frequently rely on neighbors, friends, and County Extension. These findings are significant for conservation policy because, unlike some past research, they indicate that renters are not resistant to all types of conservation practices, echoing recent studies finding an increase in conservation adoption among non-full-owners. Our results emphasize the importance of government conservation communication and can inform outreach efforts by helping tailor effective, targeted conservation strategies for owners and renters.

The experience of adoptive parents in adoption reunion relationships: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Petta, Gabrielle A; Steed, Lyndall G

2005-04-01

The issues experienced by adoptive parents when faced with an adult child's searching or reunion relationship with his or her birth family, how adoptive parents place themselves within this process, and the factors that influence their experience at this time were explored in a qualitative study of 21 adoptive parents. Themes derived from semistructured interviews are discussed, and implications for clinical practice and future research are suggested. Copyright (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved.

Clarifying the Ethical Tendency in Education for Sustainable Development Practice: A Wittgenstein-Inspired Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohman, Johan; Ostman, Leif

2008-01-01

This article aims to contribute to the debate about the moral and ethical aspects of education for sustainable development by suggesting a clarification of ethics and morals through an investigation of how these aspects appear in educational practice. The ambition is both to point to the normative dangers of education for sustainable development…

Pursuing sustainable productivity with millions of smallholder farmers.

PubMed

Cui, Zhenling; Zhang, Hongyan; Chen, Xinping; Zhang, Chaochun; Ma, Wenqi; Huang, Chengdong; Zhang, Weifeng; Mi, Guohua; Miao, Yuxin; Li, Xiaolin; Gao, Qiang; Yang, Jianchang; Wang, Zhaohui; Ye, Youliang; Guo, Shiwei; Lu, Jianwei; Huang, Jianliang; Lv, Shihua; Sun, Yixiang; Liu, Yuanying; Peng, Xianlong; Ren, Jun; Li, Shiqing; Deng, Xiping; Shi, Xiaojun; Zhang, Qiang; Yang, Zhiping; Tang, Li; Wei, Changzhou; Jia, Liangliang; Zhang, Jiwang; He, Mingrong; Tong, Yanan; Tang, Qiyuan; Zhong, Xuhua; Liu, Zhaohui; Cao, Ning; Kou, Changlin; Ying, Hao; Yin, Yulong; Jiao, Xiaoqiang; Zhang, Qingsong; Fan, Mingsheng; Jiang, Rongfeng; Zhang, Fusuo; Dou, Zhengxia

2018-03-15

Sustainably feeding a growing population is a grand challenge, and one that is particularly difficult in regions that are dominated by smallholder farming. Despite local successes, mobilizing vast smallholder communities with science- and evidence-based management practices to simultaneously address production and pollution problems has been infeasible. Here we report the outcome of concerted efforts in engaging millions of Chinese smallholder farmers to adopt enhanced management practices for greater yield and environmental performance. First, we conducted field trials across China's major agroecological zones to develop locally applicable recommendations using a comprehensive decision-support program. Engaging farmers to adopt those recommendations involved the collaboration of a core network of 1,152 researchers with numerous extension agents and agribusiness personnel. From 2005 to 2015, about 20.9 million farmers in 452 counties adopted enhanced management practices in fields with a total of 37.7 million cumulative hectares over the years. Average yields (maize, rice and wheat) increased by 10.8-11.5%, generating a net grain output of 33 million tonnes (Mt). At the same time, application of nitrogen decreased by 14.7-18.1%, saving 1.2 Mt of nitrogen fertilizers. The increased grain output and decreased nitrogen fertilizer use were equivalent to US$12.2 billion. Estimated reactive nitrogen losses averaged 4.5-4.7 kg nitrogen per Megagram (Mg) with the intervention compared to 6.0-6.4 kg nitrogen per Mg without. Greenhouse gas emissions were 328 kg, 812 kg and 434 kg CO 2 equivalent per Mg of maize, rice and wheat produced, respectively, compared to 422 kg, 941 kg and 549 kg CO 2 equivalent per Mg without the intervention. On the basis of a large-scale survey (8.6 million farmer participants) and scenario analyses, we further demonstrate the potential impacts of implementing the enhanced management practices on China's food security and

Pursuing sustainable productivity with millions of smallholder farmers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Zhenling; Zhang, Hongyan; Chen, Xinping; Zhang, Chaochun; Ma, Wenqi; Huang, Chengdong; Zhang, Weifeng; Mi, Guohua; Miao, Yuxin; Li, Xiaolin; Gao, Qiang; Yang, Jianchang; Wang, Zhaohui; Ye, Youliang; Guo, Shiwei; Lu, Jianwei; Huang, Jianliang; Lv, Shihua; Sun, Yixiang; Liu, Yuanying; Peng, Xianlong; Ren, Jun; Li, Shiqing; Deng, Xiping; Shi, Xiaojun; Zhang, Qiang; Yang, Zhiping; Tang, Li; Wei, Changzhou; Jia, Liangliang; Zhang, Jiwang; He, Mingrong; Tong, Yanan; Tang, Qiyuan; Zhong, Xuhua; Liu, Zhaohui; Cao, Ning; Kou, Changlin; Ying, Hao; Yin, Yulong; Jiao, Xiaoqiang; Zhang, Qingsong; Fan, Mingsheng; Jiang, Rongfeng; Zhang, Fusuo; Dou, Zhengxia

2018-03-01

Sustainably feeding a growing population is a grand challenge, and one that is particularly difficult in regions that are dominated by smallholder farming. Despite local successes, mobilizing vast smallholder communities with science- and evidence-based management practices to simultaneously address production and pollution problems has been infeasible. Here we report the outcome of concerted efforts in engaging millions of Chinese smallholder farmers to adopt enhanced management practices for greater yield and environmental performance. First, we conducted field trials across China’s major agroecological zones to develop locally applicable recommendations using a comprehensive decision-support program. Engaging farmers to adopt those recommendations involved the collaboration of a core network of 1,152 researchers with numerous extension agents and agribusiness personnel. From 2005 to 2015, about 20.9 million farmers in 452 counties adopted enhanced management practices in fields with a total of 37.7 million cumulative hectares over the years. Average yields (maize, rice and wheat) increased by 10.8–11.5%, generating a net grain output of 33 million tonnes (Mt). At the same time, application of nitrogen decreased by 14.7–18.1%, saving 1.2 Mt of nitrogen fertilizers. The increased grain output and decreased nitrogen fertilizer use were equivalent to US$12.2 billion. Estimated reactive nitrogen losses averaged 4.5–4.7 kg nitrogen per Megagram (Mg) with the intervention compared to 6.0–6.4 kg nitrogen per Mg without. Greenhouse gas emissions were 328 kg, 812 kg and 434 kg CO2 equivalent per Mg of maize, rice and wheat produced, respectively, compared to 422 kg, 941 kg and 549 kg CO2 equivalent per Mg without the intervention. On the basis of a large-scale survey (8.6 million farmer participants) and scenario analyses, we further demonstrate the potential impacts of implementing the enhanced management practices on China’s food security and

Using Innovative Technology to Develop Sustainable Assessment Practices in Marketing Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Debuse, Justin C. W.; Lawley, Meredith

2011-01-01

Timely, constructive feedback on assessment is critically important to students and yet is increasingly difficult for time-poor academics to consistently provide. Marketing educators also face pressure to incorporate sustainability into both the curriculum and practices such as assessment. This article outlines the development of an innovative…

'Living the rural experience-preparation for practice': The future proofing of sustainable rural midwifery practice through midwifery education.

PubMed

Kensington, Mary; Rankin, Jean; Gilkison, Andrea; Daellenbach, Rea; Crowther, Susan; Deery, Ruth; Davies, Lorna

2018-06-05

Rural practice presents unique challenges and skill requirements for midwives. New Zealand and Scotland face similar challenges in sustaining a rural midwifery workforce. This paper draws from an international multi-centre study exploring rural midwifery to focus on the education needs of student midwives within pre-registration midwifery programmes in order to determine appropriate preparation for rural practice. The mixed-methods study was conducted with 222 midwives working in rural areas in New Zealand (n = 145) and Scotland (n = 77). Midwives' views were gathered through an anonymous online survey and online discussion forums. Descriptive analysis was used for quantitative data and thematic analysis was conducted with qualitative data. 'Future proofing rural midwifery practice' using education was identified as the overarching central theme in ensuring the sustainability of rural midwives, with two associated principle themes emerging (i) 'preparation for rural practice' and (ii) 'living the experience and seeing the reality'. The majority of participants agreed that pre-registration midwifery programmes should include a rural placement for students and rural-specific education with educational input from rural midwives. This study provides insight into how best to prepare midwives for rural practice within pre-registration midwifery education, in order to meet the needs of midwives and families in the rural context. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hype, harmony and human factors: applying user-centered design to achieve sustainable telehealth program adoption and growth.

PubMed

Rossos, P G; St-Cyr, O; Purdy, B; Toenjes, C; Masino, C; Chmelnitsky, D

2015-01-01

Despite decades of international experience with the use of information and communication technologies in healthcare delivery, widespread telehealth adoption remains limited and progress slow. Escalating health system challenges related to access, cost and quality currently coincide with rapid advancement of affordable and reliable internet based communication technologies creating unprecedented opportunities and incentives for telehealth. In this paper, we will describe how Human Factors Engineering (HFE) and user-centric elements have been incorporated into the establishment of telehealth within a large academic medical center to increase acceptance and sustainability. Through examples and lessons learned we wish to increase awareness of HFE and its importance in the successful implementation, innovation and growth of telehealth programs.

The Anti-Fraudulent Adoption Practices Act of 1984. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Courts of the Committee on the Judiciary. United States Senate, Ninety-Eighth Congress, Second Session on S. 2299, a Bill Entitled the "Anti-Fraudulent Adoption Practices Act of 1984 (March 16, 1984).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

This hearing provided a forum for witnesses testifying about the Anti-Fraudulent Adoption Practices Act of 1984 (S. 2299) and the issues the bill was designed to address. Testimony focuses on the nature and incidence of fraudulent adoption scams; the need for Federal legislation to address the problem; the experiences of victimized families;…

Evaluating sustainable water quality management in the U.S.: Urban, Agricultural, and Environmental Protection Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Oel, P. R.; Alfredo, K. A.; Russo, T. A.

2015-12-01

Sustainable water management typically emphasizes water resource quantity, with focus directed at availability and use practices. When attention is placed on sustainable water quality management, the holistic, cross-sector perspective inherent to sustainability is often lost. Proper water quality management is a critical component of sustainable development practices. However, sustainable development definitions and metrics related to water quality resilience and management are often not well defined; water quality is often buried in large indicator sets used for analysis, and the policy regulating management practices create sector specific burdens for ensuring adequate water quality. In this research, we investigated the methods by which water quality is evaluated through internationally applied indicators and incorporated into the larger idea of "sustainability." We also dissect policy's role in the distribution of responsibility with regard to water quality management in the United States through evaluation of three broad sectors: urban, agriculture, and environmental water quality. Our research concludes that despite a growing intention to use a single system approach for urban, agricultural, and environmental water quality management, one does not yet exist and is even hindered by our current policies and regulations. As policy continues to lead in determining water quality and defining contamination limits, new regulation must reconcile the disparity in requirements for the contaminators and those performing end-of-pipe treatment. Just as the sustainable development indicators we researched tried to integrate environmental, economic, and social aspects without skewing focus to one of these three categories, policy cannot continue to regulate a single sector of society without considering impacts to the entire watershed and/or region. Unequal distribution of the water pollution burden creates disjointed economic growth, infrastructure development, and policy

Don't Preach. Practice! Value Laden Statements in Academic Sustainability Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mulder, Karel F.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The slogan "Practice what you preach" denotes that people should behave in accordance with the values that they preach. For universities that teach sustainable development (SD), it implies that these institutes should apply major SD principles themselves for example by campus greening, green purchasing, etc. But is not…

Adoption: Misunderstood, Mythologized, Marginalized

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedlander, Myrna L.

2003-01-01

Implications are discussed in response to the Major Contribution in this issue reviewing the history, controversies, and theoretical and research literature related to adoption. Practice recommendations for therapists working with adopted children and their families are clustered around three prominent themes in the reviews by Lee, O'Brien and…

Examining the short-term impacts of diverse management practices on plant phenology and carbon fluxes of Old World bluestems pasture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Burning, grazing, and baling (hay harvesting) are common management practices for tallgrass pasture. To develop and adopt sustainable management practices, it is essential to better understand and quantify the impacts of management practices on plant phenology and carbon fluxes. In this study, we co...

Using Sustainable Development as a Competitive Strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spearman, Pat

Sustainable development reduces construction waste by 43%, generating 50% cost savings. Residential construction executives lacking adequate knowledge regarding the benefits of sustainable development practices are at a competitive disadvantage. Drawing from the diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore knowledge acquisition within the bounds of sustainable residential construction. The purposive sample size of 11 executive decision makers fulfilled the sample size requirements and enabled the extraction of meaningful data. Participants were members of the National Home Builders Association and had experience of a minimum of 5 years in residential construction. The research question addressed how to improve knowledge acquisition relating to the cost benefits of building green homes and increase the adoption rate of sustainable development among residential builders. Data were collected via semistructured telephone interviews, field observation, and document analysis. Transcribed data were validated via respondent validation, coded into 5 initial categories aligned to the focus of the research, then reduced to 3 interlocking themes of environment, competitive advantage, and marketing. Recommendations include developing comprehensive public policies, horizontal and vertical communications networks, and green banks to capitalize sustainable development programs to improve the diffusion of green innovation as a competitive advantage strategy. Business leaders could benefit from this data by integrating sustainable development practices into their business processes. Sustainable development reduces operational costs, increases competitive advantage for builders, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Implications for social change increase energy independence through conservation and developing a legislative policy template for comprehensive energy strategies. A comprehensive energy strategy promotes economic development

Birth parents who relinquished babies for adoption revisited.

PubMed

Pannor, R; Baran, A; Sorosky, A D

1978-09-01

The fact that adoption records may be opened by court decree to enable adoptees to have access to identifying information about their birth parents makes it incumbent upon those concerned with adoption practices to study the impact of this on adoptees, adoptive parents, birth parents, and professional practice. This paper reports on research addressed to the attitudes and feelings of birth parents years after they relinquished babies for adoption.

Sustainable business models: systematic approach toward successful ambulatory care pharmacy practice.

PubMed

Sachdev, Gloria

2014-08-15

This article discusses considerations for making ambulatory care pharmacist services at least cost neutral and, ideally, generate a margin that allows for service expansion. The four pillars of business sustainability are leadership, staffing, information technology, and compensation. A key facet of leadership in ambulatory care pharmacy practice is creating and expressing a clear vision for pharmacists' services. Staffing considerations include establishing training needs, maximizing efficiencies, and minimizing costs. Information technology is essential for efficiency in patient care delivery and outcomes assessment. The three domains of compensation are cost savings, pay for performance, and revenue generation. The following eight steps for designing and implementing an ambulatory care pharmacist service are discussed: (1) prepare a needs assessment, (2) analyze existing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, (3) analyze service gaps and feasibility, (4) consider financial opportunities, (5) consider stakeholders' interests, (6) develop a business plan, (7) implement the service, and (8) measure outcomes. Potential future changes in national healthcare policy (such as pharmacist provider status and expanded pay for performance) could enhance the opportunities for sustainable ambulatory care pharmacy practice. The key challenges facing ambulatory care pharmacists are developing sustainable business models, determining which services yield a positive return on investment, and demanding payment for value-added services. Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Report on the Second Workshop on Sustainable Software for Science: Practice and Experiences (WSSSPE2)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Daniel S.; Choi, Sou-Cheng T.; Wilkins-Diehr, Nancy; Chue Hong, Neil; Venters, Colin C.; Howison, James; Seinstra, Frank; Jones, Matthew; Cranston, Karen; Clune, Thomas L.; de Val-Borro, Miguel; Littauer, Richard

2016-02-01

This technical report records and discusses the Second Workshop on Sustainable Software for Science: Practice and Experiences (WSSSPE2). The report includes a description of the alternative, experimental submission and review process, two workshop keynote presentations, a series of lightning talks, a discussion on sustainability, and five discussions from the topic areas of exploring sustainability; software development experiences; credit & incentives; reproducibility & reuse & sharing; and code testing & code review. For each topic, the report includes a list of tangible actions that were proposed and that would lead to potential change. The workshop recognized that reliance on scientific software is pervasive in all areas of world-leading research today. The workshop participants then proceeded to explore different perspectives on the concept of sustainability. Key enablers and barriers of sustainable scientific software were identified from their experiences. In addition, recommendations with new requirements such as software credit files and software prize frameworks were outlined for improving practices in sustainable software engineering. There was also broad consensus that formal training in software development or engineering was rare among the practitioners. Significant strides need to be made in building a sense of community via training in software and technical practices, on increasing their size and scope, and on better integrating them directly into graduate education programs. Finally, journals can define and publish policies to improve reproducibility, whereas reviewers can insist that authors provide sufficient information and access to data and software to allow them reproduce the results in the paper. Hence a list of criteria is compiled for journals to provide to reviewers so as to make it easier to review software submitted for publication as a "Software Paper."

Adopted children in their adoptive families.

PubMed

Schechter, M D; Holter, F R

1975-08-01

The adoptive process can produce unusual stresses on the child, and biologic and adoptive parents, from prenatal to postnatal life, and through the various phases of physical and pscyhological development. Because of the possibility of these children and their families falling into the "at risk" category with greater potential for psychological and social problems, the pediatrician is of primary importance in diagnosis and counseling. The pediatrician can be of major help in properly diagnosing emotional, behavioral and/or learning problems occurring in adopted children. There must be a thorough evaluation of the child and his family to understand and properly treat symptomatic behavior. The pediatrician can give advice regarding developmental milestones, and especially help the adoptive parents in appreciating their conscious and unconscious attitudes so as to enhance attachment behaviors. Pediatricians are the consultants to whom parents turn for advice regarding the timing of telling about adoption. This advice needs to be individualized according to the specific child's needs. Using a developmental conceptual framework, the pediatrician is in the best position to help the parents and their adopted children with their feelings about societal attitudes and how these can most appropriately be handled. Along this line, the pediatrician can give help and advice when and if the adoptee decides to search for his biologic parents. There is a need to clarify laws which seal the original birth certificate permitting those adoptees who wish to attain a knowledge of potentially related disease processes and an identity with his own genealogical past to do so. This would also allow the adoptee to offer his own children information about their own genetic pool and an awareness of adoption as one of the most valuable and historically significant child rearing practices.

Capability challenges of facility management (FM) personnel toward sustainability agenda

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halim, Ahmad Ilyas Ahmad; Sarpin, Norliana; Kasim, Narimah Binti; Zainal, Rozlin Binti

2017-10-01

The industries business play a significant role to contribute toward economic growth in develop and developing country. However, they always face serious problems such as time overrun, waste generation, and cost overrun during their operation and maintenance. Traditional practice is found unable to control that situation. These challenges accent the need for practitioners to rethink and improve their process management. This show that industries business has major potential when applying sustainable development by focusing on three pillars (economic, environment, and social). By adopting sustainability, it can reduce energy consumption and waste, while increasing productivity, financial return and corporate standing in community. FM personnel are most suitable position to lead organizations toward sustainability implementation. However, lack of skill and capability among FM personnel to achieve sustainable goal had become barrier that need to overcome. This paper focus to identify capability challenges of FM personnel toward sustainability. A multiple researches were conducted and data were gathered through literature review from previous studies.

Changing attitudes and practices in foregoing life-sustaining treatments.

PubMed

Sprung, C L

1990-04-25

Advances in medical technology and practices have been associated with improved patient outcomes. At times, the price of this progress has included great financial costs and human suffering. During the last two decades, there have been significant changes in medical practices in America. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the removal of a respirator or hydration or nutrition from a patient who was not brain dead was considered a deviation from accepted medical practices. In 1976, the Quinlan case allowed the removal of a ventilator from a patient in a persistent vegetative state. Subsequent court decisions in the 1980s have equated hydration and artificial feeding with other forms of life-sustaining treatments and have allowed their withdrawal in patients who were not terminally ill. Prominent physicians have recently stated that it is not immoral for a physician to assist in the rational suicide of a terminally ill patient. Active euthanasia programs in the United States are likely in the near future.

Creating and sustaining an academic-practice Partnership Engagement Model.

PubMed

Schaffer, Marjorie A; Schoon, Patricia M; Brueshoff, Bonnie L

2017-11-01

Public health clinical educators and practicing public health nurses (PHNs) are experiencing challenges in creating meaningful clinical learning experiences for nursing students due to an increase in nursing programs and greater workload responsibilities for both nursing faculty and PHNs. The Henry Street Consortium (HSC), a collaborative group of PHNs and nursing faculty, conducted a project to identify best practices for public health nursing student clinical learning experiences. Project leaders surveyed HSC members about preferences for teaching-learning strategies, facilitated development of resources and tools to guide learning, organized faculty/PHN pilot teams to test resources and tools with students, and evaluated the pilot team experiences through two focus groups. The analysis of the outcomes of the partnership engagement project led to the development of the Partnership Engagement Model (PEM), which may be used by nursing faculty and their public health practice partners to guide building relationships and sustainable partnerships for educating nursing students. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Interprofessional Communities of Practice in Continuing Medical Education for Promoting and Sustaining Practice Change: A Prospective Cohort Study.

PubMed

Barker, Megan; Lecce, Julia; Ivanova, Anna; Zawertailo, Laurie; Dragonetti, Rosa; Selby, Peter

2018-01-01

Standard knowledge delivery formats for CME may have limited impact on long-term practice change. A community of practice (CoP) is one tool that may enhance competencies and support practice change. This study explores the utility of an interprofessional CoP as an adjunct to a CME program in tobacco addiction treatment (Training Enhancement in Applied Counselling and Health [TEACH] Project) to promote and sustain practice change. A prospective cohort design was utilized to examine the long-term impact of the TEACH CoP on practice change. An online survey was administered to TEACH-trained practitioners to assess perceived feasibility, importance, and confidence related to course competencies, involvement in TEACH CoP activities, engagement in knowledge transfer (KT), and implementation of new programming. Chi-square tests were used to detect differences in KT and program development associated with CoP participation. Course competency scores from immediate postcourse surveys and long-term follow-up surveys were compared. No significant differences in participant characteristics were found between those who did (n = 300) and did not (n = 122) participate in the TEACH CoP. Mean self-perceived competency scores were greater immediately after course than at long-term follow-up; however, self-ratings of competency in pharmacological interventions and motivational interviewing were higher at follow-up. TEACH CoP participation was associated with significantly greater engagement in KT and implementation of new programming after training. The findings from this evaluation suggest the value of interprofessional CoPs offered posttraining as a mechanism to enhance practice. CME providers should consider offering CoPs as a component of training programs to promote and sustain practice change.

Sustainable Practices Innovation

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Better sustainability means more environmentally conscious and efficient businesses and communities. EPA helps modify the way we consume energy, deal with waste, and grow our economy through programs such as Energy Star, E3, Smart Growth, and WaterSense.

Developing a Sustainable Practical Model of Graduate Employability for Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rufai, Ahmed Umar; Bakar, Ab Rahim Bin; Rashi, Abdullah Bin Mat

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to evolve a sustainable practical model of employability skills that is sure to capture relevant learning aspects of a particular occupational discipline to be used as framework for Undergraduate students to develop their employability potentials. The study was conducted in three Universities and Polytechnics each with…

Frontier Schools in Montana: Challenges and Sustainability Practices. A Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harmon, Hobart L.; Morton, Claudette

2010-01-01

This study reveals the challenges confronting small, rural "frontier" schools in Montana and the practices that contribute to their sustainability. A Montana frontier school is defined as a school district with 200 or fewer students and its attendant community in a county with five or fewer people per square mile. The researcher…

A unit-level perspective on the long-term sustainability of a nursing best practice guidelines program: An embedded multiple case study.

PubMed

Fleiszer, Andrea R; Semenic, Sonia E; Ritchie, Judith A; Richer, Marie-Claire; Denis, Jean-Louis

2016-01-01

Best practice guidelines are a tool for narrowing research-to-practice gaps and improving care outcomes. There is some empirical understanding of guideline implementation in nursing settings, yet there has been almost no consideration of the longer-term sustainability of guideline-based practice improvements. Many healthcare innovations are not sustained, underscoring the need for knowledge about how to promote their survival. To understand how a nursing best practice guidelines program was sustained on acute healthcare center nursing units. We undertook a qualitative descriptive case study of an organization-wide nursing best practice guidelines program with four embedded nursing unit subcases. The setting was a large, tertiary/quaternary urban health center in Canada. The nursing department initiated a program to enhance patient safety through the implementation of three guidelines: falls prevention, pressure ulcer prevention, and pain management. We selected four inpatient unit subcases that had differing levels of program sustainability at an average of almost seven years post initial program implementation. Data sources included 39 key informant interviews with nursing leaders/administrators and frontline nurses; site visits; and program-related documents. Data collection and content analysis were guided by a framework for the sustainability of healthcare innovations. Program sustainability was characterized by three elements: benefits, routinization, and development. Seven key factors most accounted for the differences in the level of program sustainability between subcases. These factors were: perceptions of advantages, collaboration, accountability, staffing, linked levels of leadership, attributes of formal unit leadership, and leaders' use of sustainability activities. Some prominent relationships between characteristics and factors explained long-term program sustainability. Of primary importance was the extent to which unit leaders used sustainability

Modeling large-scale adoption of intercropping as a sustainable agricultural practice for food security and air pollution mitigation around the globe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fung, K. M.; Tai, A. P. K.; Yong, T.; Liu, X.

2017-12-01

The fast-growing world population will impose a severe pressure on our current global food production system. Meanwhile, boosting crop yield by increasing fertilizer use comes with a cascade of environmental problems including air pollution. In China, agricultural activities contribute to 95% of total ammonia emissions. Such emissions are attributable to 20% of the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) formed in the downwind regions, which imposes severe health risks to the citizens. Field studies of soybean intercropping have demonstrated its potential to enhance crop yield, lower fertilizer use, and thus reduce ammonia emissions by taking advantage of legume nitrogen fixation and enabling mutualistic crop-crop interactions between legumes and non-legume crops. In our work, we revise the process-based biogeochemical model, DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) to capture the belowground interactions of intercropped crops and show that with intercropping, only 58% of fertilizer is required to yield the same maize production of its monoculture counterpart, corresponding to a reduction in ammonia emission by 43% over China. Using the GEOS-Chem global 3-D chemical transport model, we estimate that such ammonia reduction can lessen downwind inorganic PM2.5 by up to 2.1% (equivalent to 1.3 μg m-3), which saves the Chinese air pollution-related health costs by up to US$1.5 billion each year. With the more enhanced crop growth and land management algorithms in the Community Land Model (CLM), we also implement into CLM the new parametrization of the belowground interactions to simulate large-scale adoption of intercropping around the globe and study their beneficial effects on food production, fertilizer usage and ammonia reduction. This study can serve as a scientific basis for policy makers and intergovernmental organizations to consider promoting large-scale intercropping to maintain a sustainable global food supply to secure both future crop production and air quality.

Engaging Sustainability Good Practice within the Curriculum Design and Property Portfolio in the Australian Higher Education Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poon, Joanna

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the extent to which universities' strategic plans affect the level of incorporation of sustainability within the curriculum design and property portfolio. Design/Methodology/Approach: This research adopted a case study approach. The case study institution was Deakin University in Australia. This…

Developing and Sustaining Recovery-Orientation in Mental Health Practice: Experiences of Occupational Therapists.

PubMed

Nugent, Alexandra; Hancock, Nicola; Honey, Anne

2017-01-01

Internationally, mental health policy requires clinicians to shift from a medical to a recovery-oriented approach. However, there is a significant lag in the translation of policy into practice. Occupational therapists have been identified as ideally situated to be recovery-oriented yet limited research exploring how they do this exists. This study aimed to explore Australian occupational therapists' experiences of developing and sustaining recovery-orientation in mental health practice. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with twelve occupational therapists working across different mental health service types. Participants identified themselves as being recovery-oriented. Data were analysed using constant comparative analysis. Occupational therapists described recovery-oriented practice as an active, ongoing, and intentional process of seeking out knowledge, finding fit between understandings of recovery-oriented practice and their professional identity, holding hope, and developing confidence through clinical reasoning. Human and systemic aspects of therapists' workplace environment influenced this process. Being a recovery-oriented occupational therapist requires more than merely accepting a specific framework. It requires commitment and ongoing work to develop and sustain recovery-orientation. Occupational therapists are called to extend current leadership activity beyond their workplace and to advocate for broader systemic change.

Sustainability or Limitless Expansion: Paradigm Shift in HRD Practice and Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ardichvili, Alexandre

2012-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss a shift from the mentality of limitless growth and expansion to the new sustainability paradigm in HRD practice, and identifies what corresponding changes are needed in human resource development (HRD) university programs. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a review of the literature in HRD and…

Empirically evaluating the WHO global code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel's impact on four high-income countries four years after adoption.

PubMed

Tam, Vivian; Edge, Jennifer S; Hoffman, Steven J

2016-10-12

Shortages of health workers in low-income countries are exacerbated by the international migration of health workers to more affluent countries. This problem is compounded by the active recruitment of health workers by destination countries, particularly Australia, Canada, UK and USA. The World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a voluntary Code of Practice in May 2010 to mitigate tensions between health workers' right to migrate and the shortage of health workers in source countries. The first empirical impact evaluation of this Code was conducted 11-months after its adoption and demonstrated a lack of impact on health workforce recruitment policy and practice in the short-term. This second empirical impact evaluation was conducted 4-years post-adoption using the same methodology to determine whether there have been any changes in the perceived utility, applicability, and implementation of the Code in the medium-term. Forty-four respondents representing government, civil society and the private sector from Australia, Canada, UK and USA completed an email-based survey evaluating their awareness of the Code, perceived impact, changes to policy or recruitment practices resulting from the Code, and the effectiveness of non-binding Codes generally. The same survey instrument from the original study was used to facilitate direct comparability of responses. Key lessons were identified through thematic analysis. The main findings between the initial impact evaluation and the current one are unchanged. Both sets of key informants reported no significant policy or regulatory changes to health worker recruitment in their countries as a direct result of the Code due to its lack of incentives, institutional mechanisms and interest mobilizers. Participants emphasized the existence of previous bilateral and regional Codes, the WHO Code's non-binding nature, and the primacy of competing domestic healthcare priorities in explaining this perceived lack of impact. The Code has

Achieving 90% Adoption of Clinical Practice Guidelines Using the Delphi Consensus Method in a Large Orthopedic Group.

PubMed

Bini, Stefano A; Mahajan, John

2016-11-01

Little is known about the implementation rate of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). Our purpose was to report on the adoption rate of CPGs created and implemented by a large orthopedic group using the Delphi consensus method. The draft CPGs were created before the group's annual meeting by 5 teams each assigned a subset of topics. The draft guidelines included a statement and a summary of the available evidence. Each guideline was debated in both small-group and plenary sessions. Voting was anonymous and a 75% supermajority was required for passage. A Likert scale was used to survey the patient's experience with the process at 1 week, and the Kirkpatrick evaluation model was used to gauge the efficacy of the process over a 6-month time frame. Eighty-five orthopedic surgeons attended the meeting. Fifteen guidelines grouped into 5 topics were created. All passed. Eighty-six percent of attendees found the process effective and 84% felt that participating in the process made it more likely that they would adopt the guidelines. At 1 week, an average of 62% of attendees stated they were practicing the guideline as written (range: 35%-72%), and at 6 months, 96% stated they were practicing them (range: 82%-100%). We have demonstrated that a modified Delphi method for reaching consensus can be very effective in both creating CPGs and leading to their adoption. Further we have shown that the process is well received by participants and that an inclusionary approach can be highly successful. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Market effects on electronic health record adoption by physicians.

PubMed

Abdolrasulnia, Maziar; Menachemi, Nir; Shewchuk, Richard M; Ginter, Peter M; Duncan, W Jack; Brooks, Robert G

2008-01-01

Despite the advantages of electronic health record (EHR) systems, the adoption of these systems has been slow among community-based physicians. Current studies have examined organizational and personal barriers to adoption; however, the influence of market characteristics has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of market characteristics on EHR adoption by physicians. Generalized hierarchal linear modeling was used to analyze EHR survey data from Florida which were combined with data from the Area Resource File and the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. The main outcome variable was self-reported use of EHR by physicians. A total of 2,926 physicians from practice sizes of 20 or less were included in the sample. Twenty-one percent (n = 613) indicated that they personally and routinely use an EHR system in their practice. Physicians located in counties with higher physician concentration were found to be more likely to adopt EHRs. For every one-unit increase in nonfederal physicians per 10,000 in the county, there was a 2.0% increase in likelihood of EHR adoption by physicians (odds ratio = 1.02, confidence interval = 1.00-1.03). Health maintenance organization penetration rate and poverty level were not found to be significantly related to EHR adoption. However, practice size, years in practice, Medicare payer mix, and measures of technology readiness were found to independently influence physician adoption. Market factors play an important role in the diffusion of EHRs in small medical practices. Policy makers interested in furthering the adoption of EHRs must consider strategies that would enhance the confidence of users as well as provide financial support in areas with the highest concentration of small medical practices and Medicare beneficiaries. Health care leaders should be cognizant of the market forces that enable or constrain the adoption of EHR among their practices and those of their competitors.

Data Center Energy Efficiency Standards in India: Preliminary Findings from Global Practices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raje, Sanyukta; Maan, Hermant; Ganguly, Suprotim

Global data center energy consumption is growing rapidly. In India, information technology industry growth, fossil-fuel generation, and rising energy prices add significant operational costs and carbon emissions from energy-intensive data centers. Adoption of energy-efficient practices can improve the global competitiveness and sustainability of data centers in India. Previous studies have concluded that advancement of energy efficiency standards through policy and regulatory mechanisms is the fastest path to accelerate the adoption of energy-efficient practices in the Indian data centers. In this study, we reviewed data center energy efficiency practices in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Using evaluation metrics, we identifiedmore » an initial set of energy efficiency standards applicable to the Indian context using the existing policy mechanisms. These preliminary findings support next steps to recommend energy efficiency standards and inform policy makers on strategies to adopt energy-efficient technologies and practices in Indian data centers.« less

Assessing sustainable remediation frameworks using sustainability principles.

PubMed

Ridsdale, D Reanne; Noble, Bram F

2016-12-15

The remediation industry has grown exponentially in recent decades. International organizations of practitioners and remediation experts have developed several frameworks for integrating sustainability into remediation projects; however, there has been limited attention to how sustainability is approached and operationalized in sustainable remediation frameworks and practices - or whether sustainability plays any meaningful role at all in sustainable remediation. This paper examines how sustainability is represented in remediation frameworks and the guidance provided for practical application. Seven broad sustainability principles and review criteria are proposed and applied to a sample of six international remediation frameworks. Not all review criteria were equally satisfied and none of the frameworks fully met all criteria; however, the best performing frameworks were those identified as sustainability remediation frameworks. Intra-generational equity was addressed by all frameworks. Integrating social, economic and biophysical components beyond triple-bottom-line indicators was explicitly addressed only by the sustainable remediation frameworks. No frameworks provided principle- or rule-based guidance for dealing with trade-offs in sustainability decisions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potential contributions of figured wood to the practice of sustainable forestry

Treesearch

Don C. Bragg

2006-01-01

The birdseye grain of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) can showcase the potential of figured wood in sustainable forestry. This poorly understood but valuable grain abnormality commands such a premium that its presence alone can influence timber management. Good forestry and logging practices can help assure that quality birdseye maple logs are not relegated to low-...

Sustainable Development in Higher Education: Current Practice and Future Development: A Case Study of University of Calabar-Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ajake, Uchenna E.; Omori, Anne E.; Essien, Margaret

2011-01-01

The study highlighted the Nigerian Universities' new sustainable development strategies: emphasizes the role that entrepreneurship education can play in both raising awareness among young people about sustainable development and giving them the skills to put sustainable development into practice. Universities place priority on the development of…

Adoption of Evidence-Based Practices Among Substance Abuse Treatment Providers*

PubMed Central

Haug, Nancy A.; Shopshire, Michael; Tajima, Barbara; Gruber, Valerie; Guydish, Joseph

2009-01-01

This research was conducted at a Substance Abuse Forum designed to address local community needs by focusing on Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) in addiction treatment. The purpose of the study was to assess substance abuse treatment professionals’ readiness to adopt EBPs, experience with EBPs, and attitudes toward EBPs, as well as agency support for EBPs. A total of 119 addiction treatment providers completed pre-test measures, and 82% completed a post-test. Eighty-three percent of participants reported using some EBPs in the past year, and 75% reported currently using EBPs. Participants who were currently licensed or certified in addictions had less negative attitudes toward EBPs than those without credentials. While respondents reported agency support for EBPs, most expressed interest in further training. This study underscores the movement toward EBPs in addiction treatment and the need for effective dissemination and training in this area. PMID:18724657

The national response for preventing healthcare-associated infections: research and adoption of prevention practices.

PubMed

Kahn, Katherine L; Mendel, Peter; Leuschner, Kristin J; Hiatt, Liisa; Gall, Elizabeth M; Siegel, Sari; Weinberg, Daniel A

2014-02-01

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) have long been the subject of research and prevention practice. When findings show potential to significantly impact outcomes, clinicians, policymakers, safety experts, and stakeholders seek to bridge the gap between research and practice by identifying mechanisms and assigning responsibility for translating research to practice. This paper describes progress and challenges in HAI research and prevention practices, as explained through an examination of Health and Human Services (HHS) Action Plan's goals, inputs, and implementation in each area. We used the Context-Input-Process-Product evaluation model, together with an HAI prevention system framework, to assess the transformative processes associated with HAI research and adoption of prevention practices. Since the introduction of the Action Plan, HHS has made substantial progress in prioritizing research projects, translating findings from those projects into practice, and designing and implementing research projects in multisite practice settings. Research has emphasized the basic science and epidemiology of HAIs, the identification of gaps in research, and implementation science. The basic, epidemiological, and implementation science communities have joined forces to better define mechanisms and responsibilities for translating HAI research into practice. Challenges include the ongoing need for better evidence about intervention effectiveness, the growing implementation burden on healthcare providers and organizations, and challenges implementing certain practices. Although these HAI research and prevention practice activities are complex spanning multiple system functions and properties, HHS is making progress so that the right methods for addressing complex HAI problems at the interface of patient safety and clinical practice can emerge.

Sustained Professional Development on Cooperative Learning: Impact on Six Teachers' Practices and Students' Learning.

PubMed

Goodyear, Victoria A

2017-03-01

It has been argued, extensively and internationally, that sustained school-based continuous professional development (CPD) has the potential to overcome some of the shortcomings of traditional one-off CPD programs. Yet, the evidence base on more effective or less effective forms of CPD is contradictory. The mechanisms by which sustained support should be offered are unclear, and the impacts on teachers' and students' learning are complex and difficult to track. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a sustained school-based, tailored, and supported CPD program on teachers' practices and students' learning. Data are reported from 6 case studies of individual teachers engaged in a yearlong CPD program focused on cooperative learning. The CPD program involved participatory action research and frequent interaction/support from a boundary spanner (researcher/facilitator). Data were gathered from 29 video-recorded lessons, 108 interviews, and 35 field journal entries. (a) Individualized (external) support, (b) departmental (internal) support, and (c) sustained support impacted teachers' practices of cooperative learning. The teachers adapted their practices of cooperative learning in response to their students' learning needs. Teachers began to develop a level of pedagogical fluency, and in doing so, teachers advanced students' learning. Because this study demonstrates impact, it contributes to international literature on effective CPD. The key contribution is the detailed evidence about how and why CPD supported 6 individual teachers to learn-differently-and the complexity of the learning support required to engage in ongoing curriculum development to positively impact student learning.

Evaluating strategies for sustainable intensification of US agriculture through the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spiegal, S.; Bestelmeyer, B. T.; Archer, D. W.; Augustine, D. J.; Boughton, E. H.; Boughton, R. K.; Cavigelli, M. A.; Clark, P. E.; Derner, J. D.; Duncan, E. W.; Hapeman, C. J.; Harmel, R. D.; Heilman, P.; Holly, M. A.; Huggins, D. R.; King, K.; Kleinman, P. J. A.; Liebig, M. A.; Locke, M. A.; McCarty, G. W.; Millar, N.; Mirsky, S. B.; Moorman, T. B.; Pierson, F. B.; Rigby, J. R.; Robertson, G. P.; Steiner, J. L.; Strickland, T. C.; Swain, H. M.; Wienhold, B. J.; Wulfhorst, J. D.; Yost, M. A.; Walthall, C. L.

2018-03-01

Sustainable intensification is an emerging model for agriculture designed to reconcile accelerating global demand for agricultural products with long-term environmental stewardship. Defined here as increasing agricultural production while maintaining or improving environmental quality, sustainable intensification hinges upon decision-making by agricultural producers, consumers, and policy-makers. The Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network was established to inform these decisions. Here we introduce the LTAR Common Experiment, through which scientists and partnering producers in US croplands, rangelands, and pasturelands are conducting 21 independent but coordinated experiments. Each local effort compares the outcomes of a predominant, conventional production system in the region (‘business as usual’) with a system hypothesized to advance sustainable intensification (‘aspirational’). Following the logic of a conceptual model of interactions between agriculture, economics, society, and the environment, we identified commonalities among the 21 experiments in terms of (a) concerns about business-as-usual production, (b) ‘aspirational outcomes’ motivating research into alternatives, (c) strategies for achieving the outcomes, (d) practices that support the strategies, and (e) relationships between practice outreach and adoption. Network-wide, concerns about business as usual include the costs of inputs, opportunities lost to uniform management approaches, and vulnerability to accelerating environmental changes. Motivated by environmental, economic, and societal outcomes, scientists and partnering producers are investigating 15 practices in aspirational treatments to sustainably intensify agriculture, from crop diversification to ecological restoration. Collectively, the aspirational treatments reveal four general strategies for sustainable intensification: (1) reducing reliance on inputs through ecological intensification, (2) diversifying management

Alternative Aviation Jet Fuel Sustainability Evaluation Report Task 1 : Report Evaluating Existing Sustainability Evaluation Programs

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-10-25

This report describes how existing biofuel sustainability evaluation programs meet requirements that are under consideration or are in early phases of adoption and implementation in various US and international contexts. Biofuel sustainability evalua...

Contraceptive practices adopted by women attending an urban health centre.

PubMed

Prateek, S S; Saurabh, R S

2012-12-01

India was the first country in world to launch - The National Family Welfare Programme in 1951 but even today the couple protection rate (CPR) is still not achieved as desired. To determine extent of awareness regarding contraception among married women. To estimate proportion of couples using contraceptive methods, identify reasons for their adoption & non adoption and to assess unmet needs for contraception. A cross sectional descriptive study of four months duration was conducted among married women in reproductive age group (15 - 49 years) attending general out-patient department in Urban Health Centre (UHC) employing universal sampling method. Participants not willing to respond and pregnant women were excluded. Total of 180 women were selected as study participants. Every woman was interviewed face to face with pre-tested questionnaire after taking informed consent. The data was analyzed by SPSS version 16. 94 (52.2%) were in age group of 20 - 24 years. 52.4% of women were aware about contraceptive practices, of which only 32.2% of subjects were using contraceptive methods. Out of these subjects, 89.66% used temporary methods and 10.34% used permanent methods. Cu-T (41.37%) was most preferred method. 93 subjects (51.6%) had unmet need for contraception. Religion, education status and age at marriage were significantly associated with contraceptive usage. The results suggest a significant Knowledge - Application Gap with regards to contraceptives knowledge and their actual usage in study participants. Almost fifty percent of the subjects had unmet need for contraception. This shows the need for more intense awareness campaigns for promoting contraceptive usage.

Adoption, implementation and prioritization of specialist outreach policy in Australia: a national perspective.

PubMed

O'Sullivan, Belinda G; Joyce, Catherine M; McGrail, Matthew R

2014-07-01

The World Health Organization has endorsed the use of outreach to promote: efficient redeployment of the health-care workforce; continuity of care at the local level; and professional support for local, rural, health-care workers. Australia is the only country that has had, since 2000, a sustained national policy on outreach for subsidizing medical specialist outreach to rural areas. This paper describes the adoption, implementation and prioritization of a national specialist outreach policy in Australia. Adoption of the national policy followed a long history of successful outreach, largely driven by the professional interest and personal commitment of the workforce. Initially the policy supported only new outreach services but concerns about the sustainability of existing services resulted in eligibility for funding being extended to all specialist services. The costs of travel, travel time, accommodation, professional support, staff relief at specialists' primary practices and equipment hire were subsidized. Over time, a national political commitment to the equitable treatment of indigenous people resulted in more targeted support for outreach in remote areas. Current priorities are: (i) establishing team-based outreach services; (ii) improving local staff's skills; (iii) achieving local coordination; and (iv) conducting a nationally consistent needs assessment. The absence of subsidies for specialists' clinical work can discourage private specialists from providing services in remote areas where clinical throughput is low. To be successful, outreach policy must harmonize with the interests of the workforce and support professional autonomy. Internationally, the development of outreach policy must take account of the local pay and practice conditions of health workers.

Adoption, implementation and prioritization of specialist outreach policy in Australia: a national perspective

PubMed Central

Joyce, Catherine M; McGrail, Matthew R

2014-01-01

Abstract The World Health Organization has endorsed the use of outreach to promote: efficient redeployment of the health-care workforce; continuity of care at the local level; and professional support for local, rural, health-care workers. Australia is the only country that has had, since 2000, a sustained national policy on outreach for subsidizing medical specialist outreach to rural areas. This paper describes the adoption, implementation and prioritization of a national specialist outreach policy in Australia. Adoption of the national policy followed a long history of successful outreach, largely driven by the professional interest and personal commitment of the workforce. Initially the policy supported only new outreach services but concerns about the sustainability of existing services resulted in eligibility for funding being extended to all specialist services. The costs of travel, travel time, accommodation, professional support, staff relief at specialists’ primary practices and equipment hire were subsidized. Over time, a national political commitment to the equitable treatment of indigenous people resulted in more targeted support for outreach in remote areas. Current priorities are: (i) establishing team-based outreach services; (ii) improving local staff’s skills; (iii) achieving local coordination; and (iv) conducting a nationally consistent needs assessment. The absence of subsidies for specialists’ clinical work can discourage private specialists from providing services in remote areas where clinical throughput is low. To be successful, outreach policy must harmonize with the interests of the workforce and support professional autonomy. Internationally, the development of outreach policy must take account of the local pay and practice conditions of health workers. PMID:25110376

Costs to Community Mental Health Agencies to Sustain an Evidence-Based Practice.

PubMed

Roundfield, Katrina D; Lang, Jason M

2017-09-01

Dissemination of evidence-based practices (EBPs) has become a priority in children's mental health services. Although implementation approaches and initiatives are proliferating, little is known about sustainment of EBPs, but evidence suggests that most EBPs are not sustained for more than a few years. Cost is the most frequently cited barrier to sustainment, yet very little is known about these costs. This study provides a method for quantifying incremental costs of an EBP compared with usual care and preliminary data on the costs in staff time, lost revenue, and other expenses of sustaining an EBP (trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy [TF-CBT]) in community mental health settings. Fourteen community mental health agencies (CMHAs) completed a measure developed for this study to collect administrative data on implementation costs to sustain TF-CBT. Survey items captured activities that were related specifically to TF-CBT and that would not otherwise be conducted for usual care, such as TF-CBT training. Staff time in hours was converted to monetary estimates. Costs varied widely across agencies. Preliminary results indicated that agencies spent on average $65,192 per year (2014 U.S.$) on incremental costs for TF-CBT sustainment (excluding costs of external trainers and other support); the average incremental cost per client was $1,896. The costs to sustain the EBP suggest that maintaining an EBP is a financial burden for CMHAs and that these costs can be a potential barrier to broader EBP uptake. Implications for public policy include providing reimbursement rates and financial incentives to offset potential implementation costs and promote sustainment of EBPs.

Indicators for assessing socioeconomic sustainability of bioenergy systems. A short list of practical measures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dale, Virginia H.; Efroymson, Rebecca Ann; Kline, Keith L.

2012-10-16

Indicators are needed to assess both socioeconomic and environmental sustainability of bioenergy systems. Effective indicators can help to identify and quantify the sustainability attributes of bioenergy options. We identify 16 socioeconomic indicators that fall into the categories of social well-being, energy security, trade, profitability, resource conservation, and social acceptability. The suite of indicators is predicated on the existence of basic institutional frameworks to provide governance, legal, regulatory and enforcement services. Indicators were selected to be practical, sensitive to stresses, unambiguous, anticipatory, predictive, calibrated with known variability, and sufficient when considered collectively. The utility of each indicator, methods for its measurement,more » and applications appropriate for the context of particular bioenergy systems are described along with future research needs. Together, this suite of indicators is hypothesized to reflect major socioeconomic effects of the full supply chain for bioenergy, including feedstock production and logistics, conversion to biofuels, biofuel logistics and biofuel end uses. Ten of those 16 indicators are proposed to be the minimum list of practical measures of socioeconomic aspects of bioenergy sustainability. Coupled with locally-prioritized environmental indicators, we propose that these socioeconomic indicators can provide a basis to quantify and evaluate sustainability of bioenergy systems across many regions in which they will be deployed.« less

Are Low-Performing Schools Adopting Practices Promoted by School Improvement Grants? NCEE Evaluation Brief. NCEE 2015-4001

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrmann, Mariesa; Dragoset, Lisa; James-Burdumy, Susanne

2014-01-01

The federal School Improvement Grants (SIG) program aims to improve student achievement by promoting the implementation of four school intervention models: transformation, turnaround, restart, and closure. Previous research provides evidence that low-performing schools adopt some practices promoted by the four models, but little is known about how…

Influences on physicians' adoption of electronic detailing (e-detailing).

PubMed

Alkhateeb, Fadi M; Doucette, William R

2009-01-01

E-detailing means using digital technology: internet, video conferencing and interactive voice response. There are two types of e-detailing: interactive (virtual) and video. Currently, little is known about what factors influence physicians' adoption of e-detailing. The objectives of this study were to test a model of physicians' adoption of e-detailing and to describe physicians using e-detailing. A mail survey was sent to a random sample of 2000 physicians practicing in Iowa. Binomial logistic regression was used to test the model of influences on physician adoption of e-detailing. On the basis of Rogers' model of adoption, the independent variables included relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, peer influence, attitudes, years in practice, presence of restrictive access to traditional detailing, type of specialty, academic affiliation, type of practice setting and control variables. A total of 671 responses were received giving a response rate of 34.7%. A total of 141 physicians (21.0%) reported using of e-detailing. The overall adoption model for using either type of e-detailing was found to be significant. Relative advantage, peer influence, attitudes, type of specialty, presence of restrictive access and years of practice had significant influences on physician adoption of e-detailing. The model of adoption of innovation is useful to explain physicians' adoption of e-detailing.

Policies and practices related to information system adoption in hospitals owned by Ministries of Health in the Arab Gulf.

PubMed

Nabali, H M

1992-07-01

This is a discussion paper based on the findings from a study of the factors affecting the adoption of computer-based hospital information systems (CBHIS) in the Arabian Gulf. The study involved on-site visits to hospitals in Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as well as visits to ministries of health in these countries. The focus of this paper is on the adoption of CBHIS by ministry of health (MOH) hospitals, in specific, because of the main role that ministries of health play as providers of health care in the Region. Prior to describing CBHIS adoption practices, an overview of the Region in terms of its economic development and its health care delivery systems is presented. Next, the research setting along with the major findings are briefly described followed by a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of centralized CBHIS adoptions. Finally, management guidelines related to the adoption of CBHIS by multi-hospital institutions are proposed.

The BetterBirth Program: Pursuing Effective Adoption and Sustained Use of the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist Through Coaching-Based Implementation in Uttar Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Kara, Nabihah; Firestone, Rebecca; Kalita, Tapan; Gawande, Atul A; Kumar, Vishwajeet; Kodkany, Bhala; Saurastri, Rajiv; Pratap Singh, Vinay; Maji, Pinki; Karlage, Ami; Hirschhorn, Lisa R; Semrau, Katherine Ea

2017-06-27

Shifting childbirth into facilities has not improved health outcomes for mothers and newborns as significantly as hoped. Improving the quality and safety of care provided during facility-based childbirth requires helping providers to adhere to essential birth practices-evidence-based behaviors that reduce harm to and save lives of mothers and newborns. To achieve this goal, we developed the BetterBirth Program, which we tested in a matched-pair, cluster-randomized controlled trial in Uttar Pradesh, India. The goal of this intervention was to improve adoption and sustained use of the World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC), an organized collection of 28 essential birth practices that are known to improve the quality of facility-based childbirth care. Here, we describe the BetterBirth Program in detail, including its 4 main features: implementation tools, an implementation strategy of coaching, an implementation pathway (Engage-Launch-Support), and a sustainability plan. This coaching-based implementation of the SCC motivates and empowers care providers to identify, understand, and resolve the barriers they face in using the SCC with the resources already available. We describe important lessons learned from our experience with the BetterBirth Program as it was tested in the BetterBirth Trial. For example, the emphasis on relationship building and respect led to trust between coaches and birth attendants and helped influence change. In addition, the cloud-based data collection and feedback system proved a valuable asset in the coaching process. More research on coaching-based interventions is required to refine our understanding of what works best to improve quality and safety of care in various settings.Note: At the time of publication of this article, the results of evaluation of the impact of the BetterBirth Program were pending publication in another journal. After the impact findings have been published, we will update this article with a

The BetterBirth Program: Pursuing Effective Adoption and Sustained Use of the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist Through Coaching-Based Implementation in Uttar Pradesh, India

PubMed Central

Kara, Nabihah; Firestone, Rebecca; Kalita, Tapan; Gawande, Atul A; Kumar, Vishwajeet; Kodkany, Bhala; Saurastri, Rajiv; Pratap Singh, Vinay; Maji, Pinki; Karlage, Ami; Hirschhorn, Lisa R; Semrau, Katherine EA

2017-01-01

Shifting childbirth into facilities has not improved health outcomes for mothers and newborns as significantly as hoped. Improving the quality and safety of care provided during facility-based childbirth requires helping providers to adhere to essential birth practices—evidence-based behaviors that reduce harm to and save lives of mothers and newborns. To achieve this goal, we developed the BetterBirth Program, which we tested in a matched-pair, cluster-randomized controlled trial in Uttar Pradesh, India. The goal of this intervention was to improve adoption and sustained use of the World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC), an organized collection of 28 essential birth practices that are known to improve the quality of facility-based childbirth care. Here, we describe the BetterBirth Program in detail, including its 4 main features: implementation tools, an implementation strategy of coaching, an implementation pathway (Engage-Launch-Support), and a sustainability plan. This coaching-based implementation of the SCC motivates and empowers care providers to identify, understand, and resolve the barriers they face in using the SCC with the resources already available. We describe important lessons learned from our experience with the BetterBirth Program as it was tested in the BetterBirth Trial. For example, the emphasis on relationship building and respect led to trust between coaches and birth attendants and helped influence change. In addition, the cloud-based data collection and feedback system proved a valuable asset in the coaching process. More research on coaching-based interventions is required to refine our understanding of what works best to improve quality and safety of care in various settings. (After publication of this article, the impact results of the BetterBirth intervention were published in the New England Journal of Medicine [volume 377, pages 2313-2324, doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1701075]. The results showed that the intervention had

German Academia Heading for Sustainability? Reflections on Policy and Practice in Teaching, Research and Institutional Innovations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adomssent, Maik; Michelsen, Gerd

2006-01-01

This article discusses how far (and by what practical means) the growing global trend for universities to commit to sustainable development has spread across German academia. Following this introduction, part 2 will outline the political framework of the sustainability discourse in German higher education. Part 3 will emphasise the integration of…

Volcanic Ash Soils: Sustainable Soil Management Practices, With Examples of Harvest Effects and Root Disease Trends

Treesearch

Mike Curran; Pat Green; Doug Maynard

2007-01-01

Sustainability protocols recognize forest soil disturbance as an important issue at national and international levels. At regional levels continual monitoring and testing of standards, practices, and effects are necessary for successful implementation of sustainable soil management. Volcanic ash-cap soils are affected by soil disturbance and changes to soil properties...

De-adoption of an evidence-based trauma intervention in schools: A retrospective report from an urban school district

PubMed Central

Nadeem, Erum; Ringle, Vanesa

2017-01-01

The de-adoption of evidence-based practices (EBPs) is a largely understudied topic. The present study examined factors related to the de-adoption of an EBP for students exposed to traumatic events in a large urban school district. Qualitative interviews conducted with school clinicians and district administrators two years after the district embarked on a large-scale roll-out of the EBP distinguished between factors that impacted partial de-adoption after one year (phase 1) and complete de-adoption by the district after two years (phase 2). Phase 1 factors included organizational consistency, workforce stability, prior success, positive student outcomes, school- and district- level supports, innovation-setting fit, and innovation-related issues. Phase 2 factors included district-level leadership changes, financial and workforce instability, and shifting priorities. Study results suggest that sustainment-enhancing strategies should be included in the early stages of program implementation to most effectively adapt to school- and system- level changes. PMID:28775793

The next phase in professional services research: From implementation to sustainability.

PubMed

Crespo-Gonzalez, Carmen; Garcia-Cardenas, Victoria; Benrimoj, Shalom I

The provision of professional pharmacy services has been heralded as the professional and the economic future of pharmacy. There are different phases involved in a service creation including service design, impact evaluation, implementation and sustainability. The two first phases have been subject to extensive research. In the last years the principles of Implementation science have been applied in pharmacy to study the initial uptake and integration of evidence-based services into routine practice. However, little attention has been paid to the sustainability of those services, during which there is a continued use of the service previously implemented to achieve and sustain long-term outcomes. The objective of this commentary is to describe the differences and common characteristics between the implementation and the sustainability phase and to propose a definition for pharmacy. A literature search was performed. Four critical elements were identified: 1. The aim of the implementation phase is to incorporate new services into practice, the sustainability phase's aim is to make the services routine to achieve and sustain long-term benefits 2. At the implementation phase planned activities are used as a process to integrate the new service, at the sustainability phase there is a continuous improvement of the service 3. The implementation phase occurs during the period of time between the adoption of a service and its integration. Some authors suggest the sustainability phase is a concomitant phase with the implementation phase and others suggest it is independent 4. There is a lack of consensus regarding the duration of each phase. The following definition of sustainability for pharmacy services is proposed: "Sustainability is a phase in the process of a professional pharmacy service, in which the service previously integrated into practice during the implementation phase is routinized and institutionalized over time to achieve and sustain the expected service

Randomised controlled trial of a web-based programme in sustaining best practice alcohol management practices at community sports clubs: a study protocol

PubMed Central

McFadyen, Tameka; Kingsland, Melanie; Tindall, Jennifer; Rowland, Bosco; Sherker, Shauna; Gillham, Karen; Heaton, Rachael; Clinton-McHarg, Tara; Lecathelinais, Christophe; Brooke, Daisy; Wiggers, John

2018-01-01

Introduction Community-based interventions have been found to effectively increase the implementation of alcohol management practices and reduce excessive alcohol use and alcohol-related harm at sports clubs. However, once implementation support ceases there may be a reduction in such intervention effects. Thus, ongoing contribution to improving the health of the community is diminished; sustaining practice implementation is a key determinant to address this. One possible solution to the strategic and logistical challenges of sustainability involves the use of the web. The primary aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a web-based programme in sustaining the implementation of alcohol management practices by community football clubs. The secondary aim is to assess the effectiveness of the programme in preventing excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm among members of community football clubs. Methods and analysis The study will employ a repeat randomised controlled trial design and be conducted in regional and metropolitan areas within two states of Australia. Community level football clubs who are currently accredited with an existing alcohol management programme (‘Good Sports’) and implementing at least 10 of the 13 core alcohol management practices (eg, not serving alcohol to <18-year-olds) required by the programme will be recruited and randomised to either a web-based sustainability programme or a ‘minimal contact’ programme. The primary outcome measures are the proportion of football clubs implementing ≥10 of the 13 required alcohol management practices and the mean number of those practices being implemented at 3-year follow-up. Secondary outcomes include: the proportion of club members who report risky drinking at their club, the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) score and mean AUDIT score of club members. Outcome data will be collected via observation at the club during a 1-day visit to a home game

Identifying economic hurdles to early adoption of preventative practices: The case of trunk diseases in California winegrape vineyards

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Trunk diseases pose a serious threat to winegrape production. Despite the high likelihood of infection and the substantial yield losses from not managing trunk diseases, many practitioners routinely wait to adopt field-tested, preventative practices (delayed pruning, double pruning, application of p...

Supporting Collaborative and Continuing Professional Development in Education for Sustainability through a Communities of Practice Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warr Pedersen, Kristin

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to consider an expanded vision of professional development for embedding education for sustainability (EfS) in a higher education institution. Through an exploration of a community of practice at the University of Tasmania, this paper examines how collaborative peer learning can sustain and promote continued…

Minor corral changes and adoption of good handling practices can improve the behavior and reduce cortisol release in Nellore cows.

PubMed

Lima, Maria Lúcia Pereira; Negrão, João Alberto; de Paz, Claudia Cristina Paro; Grandin, Temple

2018-03-01

Inadequate corral facilities and improper handling are major causes of stress in beef cattle. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of minor changes in the corral and adoption of good handling practices on the behavior, cortisol release, and time spent taking blood samples in Nellore cows. Minor corral changes included obstructing the cow's vision when the handler walked deep into the animal's flight zone and the elimination of bright objects, color contrasts, puddles, shadows, and darkness in the corral. Handling was improved by eliminating dogs, electric goads (prods), and yelling, as well as adopting a calm behavior. A total of 141 Nellore cows from two typical extensive livestock farms were studied. The cows were evaluated individually before and after the corral changes. Blood samples were collected in the restraint device for cortisol measurement. The minor corral changes and the adoption of good handling practices result in better results for all variables studied. The results showed differences in the interactions between treatment and ranch for chute score (P = 0.0091) and exit score (P < 0.0001). The cortisol release was lower (P < 0.001) and better for the improved methods, resulting in calmer cows compared to cortisol released before the minor changes (41.03 ± 2.9 vs 60.40 ± 3.8 ng/mL). Minor changes made in the corrals and the adoption of good handling practices were effective in improving cow behavior in the chute and in reducing exit velocity, cortisol released, and the time spent taking blood samples.

Sustaining organizational culture change in health systems.

PubMed

Willis, Cameron David; Saul, Jessie; Bevan, Helen; Scheirer, Mary Ann; Best, Allan; Greenhalgh, Trisha; Mannion, Russell; Cornelissen, Evelyn; Howland, David; Jenkins, Emily; Bitz, Jennifer

2016-01-01

The questions addressed by this review are: first, what are the guiding principles underlying efforts to stimulate sustained cultural change; second, what are the mechanisms by which these principles operate; and, finally, what are the contextual factors that influence the likelihood of these principles being effective? The paper aims to discuss these issues. The authors conducted a literature review informed by rapid realist review methodology that examined how interventions interact with contexts and mechanisms to influence the sustainability of cultural change. Reference and expert panelists assisted in refining the research questions, systematically searching published and grey literature, and helping to identify interactions between interventions, mechanisms and contexts. Six guiding principles were identified: align vision and action; make incremental changes within a comprehensive transformation strategy; foster distributed leadership; promote staff engagement; create collaborative relationships; and continuously assess and learn from change. These principles interact with contextual elements such as local power distributions, pre-existing values and beliefs and readiness to engage. Mechanisms influencing how these principles sustain cultural change include activation of a shared sense of urgency and fostering flexible levels of engagement. The principles identified in this review, along with the contexts and mechanisms that influence their effectiveness, are useful domains for policy and practice leaders to explore when grappling with cultural change. These principles are sufficiently broad to allow local flexibilities in adoption and application. This is the first study to adopt a realist approach for understanding how changes in organizational culture may be sustained. Through doing so, this review highlights the broad principles by which organizational action may be organized within enabling contextual settings.

Sustainable Development: Assessing the Gap between Preaching and Practice at Aalborg University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Per; Thrane, Mikkel; Jorgensen, Tine Herreborg; Lehmann, Martin

2009-01-01

Purpose: This article aims to discuss the contradiction between signing an agreement to work for sustainable universities and the lack of practical commitment in one case, namely at Aalborg University (AAU). Focus is placed both on the University's core processes such as education, research and outreach; on the necessary inputs and outputs related…

Defining Sustainability in the Business Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bateh, Justin; Heaton, Camille; Arbogast, Gordon W.; Broadbent, Ardell

2013-01-01

Sustainability has become a buzzword in organizational research and ecological science. Much has been said about the role of sustainability for organizational development and markets. Thousands of organizations worldwide have adopted sustainability strategies to boost their productivity and develop a competitive advantage. Yet the concept of…

Developing and sustaining specialist and advanced practice roles in nursing and midwifery: A discourse on enablers and barriers.

PubMed

Fealy, Gerard M; Casey, Mary; O'Leary, Denise F; Mcnamara, Martin S; O'Brien, Denise; O'Connor, Laserina; Smith, Rita; Stokes, Diarmuid

2018-06-12

The aim of this discursive paper is to collate, synthesise and discuss published evidence and expert professional opinion on enablers and barriers to the development and sustainability of specialist and advanced practice roles in nursing and midwifery. Expanded practice is a response to population health needs, healthcare costs and practitioners' willingness to expand their scope of practice through enhanced responsibility, accountability and professional autonomy. This discursive paper is based on a rapid review of literature on enablers and barriers to the development and sustainability of specialist and advanced practice roles and is part of a wider policy analysis. We analysed and synthesised of 36 research articles, reviews and discussion papers on enablers and barriers in the development and sustainability of expanded practice roles. Several factors enable role expansion, including: role clarity; credentialing and endorsement; availability of education for expanded roles; individual practitioners' dispositions towards role expansion; support from peers, other professionals and the work organisation; and costs. Where limited or absent, these same factors can constrain role expansion. Enabling nurses and midwives to practice to their full scope of education and expertise is a global challenge for disciplinary leadership, a national challenge for professional regulation, and a local challenge for employers and individual clinicians. These challenges need to be addressed through multi-stakeholder coordinated efforts at these four levels. This discursive paper synthesises empirical evidence and expert professional opinion on the factors that enable or hinder the development and sustainability of specialist and advanced practice roles. Providing a critical appraisal of current knowledge, it provides a reference source for disciplinary debate and policy development regarding the nursing and midwifery resource and informs clinicians of the myriad issues that can

Feeding a sustainable chemical industry: do we have the bioproducts cart before the feedstocks horse?

PubMed

Dale, Bruce E

2017-09-21

A sustainable chemical industry cannot exist at scale without both sustainable feedstocks and feedstock supply chains to provide the raw materials. However, most current research focus is on producing the sustainable chemicals and materials. Little attention is given to how and by whom sustainable feedstocks will be supplied. In effect, we have put the bioproducts cart before the sustainable feedstocks horse. For example, bulky, unstable, non-commodity feedstocks such as crop residues probably cannot supply a large-scale sustainable industry. Likewise, those who manage land to produce feedstocks must benefit significantly from feedstock production, otherwise they will not participate in this industry and it will never grow. However, given real markets that properly reward farmers, demand for sustainable bioproducts and bioenergy can drive the adoption of more sustainable agricultural and forestry practices, providing many societal "win-win" opportunities. Three case studies are presented to show how this "win-win" process might unfold.

Exploring How Adults Who Work with Young Children Conceptualise Sustainability and Describe Their Practice Initiatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Allen; Emery, Sherridan; Nailon, Di; Dyment, Janet; Getenet, Seyum; McCrea, Nadine; Davis, Julie M.

2014-01-01

The development of Early Childhood Education for Sustainability (ECEfS) practices with young children from birth to eight years is an emerging area in academic and professional literature. ECEfS practices reflect growing awareness of the imperative for twenty-first century societies to respond to the pressures of unsustainable patterns of living.…

A framework and a measurement instrument for sustainability of work practices in long-term care

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In health care, many organizations are working on quality improvement and/or innovation of their care practices. Although the effectiveness of improvement processes has been studied extensively, little attention has been given to sustainability of the changed work practices after implementation. The objective of this study is to develop a theoretical framework and measurement instrument for sustainability. To this end sustainability is conceptualized with two dimensions: routinization and institutionalization. Methods The exploratory methodological design consisted of three phases: a) framework development; b) instrument development; and c) field testing in former improvement teams in a quality improvement program for health care (N teams = 63, N individual = 112). Data were collected not until at least one year had passed after implementation. Underlying constructs and their interrelations were explored using Structural Equation Modeling and Principal Component Analyses. Internal consistency was computed with Cronbach's alpha coefficient. A long and a short version of the instrument are proposed. Results The χ2- difference test of the -2 Log Likelihood estimates demonstrated that the hierarchical two factor model with routinization and institutionalization as separate constructs showed a better fit than the one factor model (p < .01). Secondly, construct validity of the instrument was strong as indicated by the high factor loadings of the items. Finally, the internal consistency of the subscales was good. Conclusions The theoretical framework offers a valuable starting point for the analysis of sustainability on the level of actual changed work practices. Even though the two dimensions routinization and institutionalization are related, they are clearly distinguishable and each has distinct value in the discussion of sustainability. Finally, the subscales conformed to psychometric properties defined in literature. The instrument can be used in the

Evidence-based practice implementation: the impact of public versus private sector organization type on organizational support, provider attitudes, and adoption of evidence-based practice.

PubMed

Aarons, Gregory A; Sommerfeld, David H; Walrath-Greene, Christine M

2009-12-31

The goal of this study is to extend research on evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation by examining the impact of organizational type (public versus private) and organizational support for EBP on provider attitudes toward EBP and EBP use. Both organization theory and theory of innovation uptake and individual adoption of EBP guide the approach and analyses in this study. We anticipated that private sector organizations would provide greater levels of organizational support for EBPs leading to more positive provider attitudes towards EBPs and EBP use. We also expected attitudes toward EBPs to mediate the association of organizational support and EBP use. Participants were mental health service providers from 17 communities in 16 states in the United States (n = 170). Path analyses were conducted to compare three theoretical models of the impact of organization type on organizational support for EBP and of organizational support on provider attitudes toward EBP and EBP use. Consistent with our predictions, private agencies provided greater support for EBP implementation, and staff working for private agencies reported more positive attitudes toward adopting EBPs. Organizational support for EBP partially mediated the association of organization type on provider attitudes toward EBP. Organizational support was significantly positively associated with attitudes toward EBP and EBP use in practice. This study offers further support for the importance of organizational context as an influence on organizational support for EBP and provider attitudes toward adopting EBP. The study demonstrates the role organizational support in provider use of EBP in practice. This study also suggests that organizational support for innovation is a malleable factor in supporting use of EBP. Greater attention should be paid to organizational influences that can facilitate the dissemination and implementation of EBPs in community settings.

Adoption Activities on the Internet: A Call for Regulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roby, Jini L.; White, Holly

2010-01-01

There is a growing practice of adoption services on the Internet with varying degrees of regulation, depending on whether it is domestic infant adoption, public foster care adoption, or international adoption. Regulation is particularly lacking in domestic infant adoptions, with Web sites connecting prospective birth and adoptive parents,…

Understanding care and feeding practices: building blocks for a sustainable intervention in India and Pakistan.

PubMed

Lingam, Raghu; Gupta, Pallavi; Zafar, Shamsa; Hill, Zelee; Yousafzai, Aisha; Iyengar, Sharad; Sikander, Siham; Haq, Zaeem ul; Mehta, Shilpa; Skordis-Worrel, Jolene; Rahman, Atif; Kirkwood, Betty

2014-01-01

Undernutrition and inadequate stimulation both negatively influence child health and development and have a long-term impact on school attainment and income. This paper reports data from India and Pakistan looking at how families interact, play with, and feed children; their expectations of growth and development; and the perceived benefits, consequences, opportunities, and barriers of adopting recommended feeding and developmental behaviors. These data were collected as part of formative research for the Sustainable Program Incorporating Nutrition and Games (SPRING) trial. This trial aims to deliver an innovative, feasible, affordable, and sustainable intervention that can achieve delivery at a scale of known effective interventions that maximize child development, growth, and survival and improve maternal psychosocial well-being in rural India and Pakistan. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

Enacting Sustainable School-Based Health Initiatives: A Communication-Centered Approach to Policy and Practice

PubMed Central

Canary, Heather E.

2011-01-01

Communication plays an important role in all aspects of the development and use of policy. We present a communication-centered perspective on the processes of enacting public health policies. Our proposed conceptual framework comprises 4 communication frames: orientation, amplification, implementation, and integration. Empirical examples from 2 longitudinal studies of school-based health policies show how each frame includes different communication processes that enable sustainable public health policy practices in school-based health initiatives. These 4 frames provide unique insight into the capacity of school-based public health policy to engage youths, parents, and a broader community of stakeholders. Communication is often included as an element of health policy; however, our framework demonstrates the importance of communication as a pivotal resource in sustaining changes in public health practices. PMID:21233442

Fostering and Sustaining Diverse Literacy Practices in the Early Childhood Classroom: Reviewing the Literature in Three Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machado, Emily

2017-01-01

In this article, I synthesize extant research that documents how teachers foster and sustain children's diverse literacy practices within the early childhood classroom. Framing this review with Bakhtin's heteroglossia, I draw on theoretical and empirical scholarship in the fields of biliteracy, translanguaging, and culturally sustaining pedagogy.…

Envisaging the Adoption Process to Strengthen Gay- and Lesbian-Headed Families: Recommendations for Adoption Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, John D.; Cramer, Elizabeth P.

2006-01-01

Although a growing number of child placement agencies are serving lesbians and gay men, a dearth of literature exists for adoption agency policies and practices related to working with this population. This article explores the unique characteristics and strengths of prospective gay and lesbian adoptive parents throughout each of the three phases…

Identifying, monitoring and implementing "sustainable" agricultural practices for smallholder farmers over large geographic areas in India and Vietnam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kritee, K.; Ahuja, R.; Nair, D.; Esteves, T.; Rudek, J.; Thu Ha, T.

2015-12-01

Industrial agriculture systems, mostly in developed and some emerging economies, are far different from the small-holder farms (size <1 acre) in Asia and Africa. Along with our partners from non-governmental, corporate, academic and government sectors and tens of thousands of farming families, we have worked actively in five states in India and two provinces in Vietnam for the last five years to understand how sustainable and climate smart farming practices can be monitored at small-holder farms. Here, any approach to monitor farming must begin by accounting for the tremendous management variability from farm to farm and also the current inability to ground-truth remote sensing data due to lack of relaible basic parameters (e.g., yields, N use, farm boundaries) which are necessary for calibrating empirical/biogeochemical models. While we continue to learn from new research, we have found that it is crucial to follow some steps if sustainable farming programs are to succeed at small-holder farms Demographic data collection and GPS plot demarcation to establish farm size and ownership Baseline nutrient, water & energy use and crop yield determination via surveys and self-reporting which are verifiable through farmer networks given the importance of peer to peer learning in the dissemination of new techniques in such landscapes "Sustainable" practice determination in consultation with local universities/NGO experts Measurements on representative plots for 3-4 years to help calibrate biogeochemical models and/or empirical equations and establish which practices are truly "sustainable" (e.g., GHG emission reduction varies from 0-7 tCO2e/acre for different sustainable practices). Propagation of sustainable practices across the landscape via local NGOs/governments after analyzing the replicability of identified farming practices in the light of local financial, cultural or socio-political barriers. We will present results from representative plots (including soil and

Sustainable Campus: Engaging the Community in Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Too, Linda; Bajracharya, Bhishna

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the major factors necessary for engaging university campus community in sustainability. While general awareness in sustainability issues has improved in recent years through mass media coverage, this knowledge is not always translated into actual sustainable practice. Studies have indicated that…

Adoption, reach, implementation, and maintenance of a behavioral and mental health assessment in primary care.

PubMed

Krist, Alex H; Phillips, Siobhan M; Sabo, Roy T; Balasubramanian, Bijal A; Heurtin-Roberts, Suzanne; Ory, Marcia G; Johnson, Sallie Beth; Sheinfeld-Gorin, Sherri N; Estabrooks, Paul A; Ritzwoller, Debra P; Glasgow, Russell E

2014-01-01

Guidelines recommend screening patients for unhealthy behaviors and mental health concerns. Health risk assessments can systematically identify patient needs and trigger care. This study seeks to evaluate whether primary care practices can routinely implement such assessments into routine care. As part of a cluster-randomized pragmatic trial, 9 diverse primary care practices implemented My Own Health Report (MOHR)-an electronic or paper-based health behavior and mental health assessment and feedback system paired with counseling and goal setting. We observed how practices integrated MOHR into their workflows, what additional practice staff time it required, and what percentage of patients completed a MOHR assessment (Reach). Most practices approached (60%) agreed to adopt MOHR. How they implemented MOHR depended on practice resources, informatics capacity, and patient characteristics. Three practices mailed patients invitations to complete MOHR on the Web, 1 called patients and completed MOHR over the telephone, 1 had patients complete MOHR on paper in the office, and 4 had staff help patients complete MOHR on the Web in the office. Overall, 3,591 patients were approached and 1,782 completed MOHR (Reach = 49.6%). Reach varied by implementation strategy with higher reach when MOHR was completed by staff than by patients (71.2% vs 30.2%, P <.001). No practices were able to sustain the complete MOHR assessment without adaptations after study completion. Fielding MOHR increased staff and clinician time an average of 28 minutes per visit. Primary care practices can implement health behavior and mental health assessments, but counseling patients effectively requires effort. Practices will need more support to implement and sustain assessments. © 2014 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Farm, household, and farmer characteristics associated with changes in management practices and technology adoption among dairy smallholders.

PubMed

Martínez-García, Carlos Galdino; Ugoretz, Sarah Janes; Arriaga-Jordán, Carlos Manuel; Wattiaux, Michel André

2015-02-01

This study explored whether technology adoption and changes in management practices were associated with farm structure, household, and farmer characteristics and to identify processes that may foster productivity and sustainability of small-scale dairy farming in the central highlands of Mexico. Factor analysis of survey data from 44 smallholders identified three factors-related to farm size, farmer's engagement, and household structure-that explained 70 % of cumulative variance. The subsequent hierarchical cluster analysis yielded three clusters. Cluster 1 included the most senior farmers with fewest years of education but greatest years of experience. Cluster 2 included farmers who reported access to extension, cooperative services, and more management changes. Cluster 2 obtained 25 and 35 % more milk than farmers in clusters 1 and 3, respectively. Cluster 3 included the youngest farmers, with most years of education and greatest availability of family labor. Access to a network and membership in a community of peers appeared as important contributors to success. Smallholders gravitated towards easy to implement technologies that have immediate benefits. Nonusers of high investment technologies found them unaffordable because of cost, insufficient farm size, and lack of knowledge or reliable electricity. Multivariate analysis may be a useful tool in planning extension activities and organizing channels of communication to effectively target farmers with varying needs, constraints, and motivations for change and in identifying farmers who may exemplify models of change for others who manage farms that are structurally similar but performing at a lower level.

Nursing care of the adoption triad.

PubMed

Foli, Karen J

2012-10-01

This study describes the practice settings and interventions of nurses who care for members of the adoption triad (AT; birth parents, adoptive parents, child). A 28-item, descriptive, cross-sectional survey was used. Ninety-seven (97) nurses provided complete (65) or partial (32) responses. Most frequently reported practice settings were labor, delivery or postpartum unit, and pediatrics. Assessed needs varied by AT members. However, interventions for all members of the triad included emotional support and therapeutic communication. The unique placement of advanced practice nurses in various clinical settings allows for contact with members of the AT in vulnerable and crisis periods. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Building a Library Subculture to Sustain Information Literacy Practice with Second Order Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkinson, Carrol Wetzel; Bruch, Courtney

2014-01-01

This article addresses development for information literacy (IL) practice through building internal library organizational culture. Using an analysis of relevant literature and reflection on lived experience, the authors explore issues and concepts for instruction librarians and leaders to consider as they advance and sustain IL initiatives.…

Science education for sustainability, epistemological reflections and educational practices: from natural sciences to trans-disciplinarity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colucci-Gray, Laura; Perazzone, Anna; Dodman, Martin; Camino, Elena

2013-03-01

In this three-part article we seek to establish connections between the emerging framework of sustainability science and the methodological basis of research and practice in science education in order to bring forth knowledge and competences for sustainability. The first and second parts deal with the implications of taking a sustainability view in relation to knowledge processes. The complexity, uncertainty and urgency of global environmental problems challenge the foundations of reductionist Western science. Within such debate, the proposal of sustainability science advocates for inter-disciplinary and inter-paradigmatic collaboration and it includes the requirements of post- normal science proposing a respectful dialogue between experts and non-experts in the construction of new scientific knowledge. Such a change of epistemology is rooted into participation, deliberation and the gathering of extended-facts where cultural framings and values are the hard components in the face of soft facts. A reflection on language and communication processes is thus the focus of knowledge practices and educational approaches aimed at sustainability. Language contains the roots of conceptual thinking (including scientific knowledge) and each culture and society are defined and limited by the language that is used to describe and act upon the world. Within a scenario of sustainability, a discussion of scientific language is in order to retrace the connections between language and culture, and to promote a holistic view based on pluralism and dialogue. Drawing on the linguistic reflection, the third part gives examples of teaching and learning situations involving prospective science teachers in action-research contexts: these activities are set out to promote linguistic integration and to introduce reflexive process into science learning. Discussion will focus on the methodological features of a learning process that is akin to a communal and emancipatory research process within

Namibia specific climate smart agricultural land use practices: Challenges and opportunities for enhancing ecosystem services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhn, Nikolaus J.; Talamondjila Naanda, Martha; Bloemertz, Lena

2015-04-01

Agriculture is a backbone for many African economies, with an estimated 70% of Africans active in agricultural production. The sector often does not only directly contribute to, but sustains food security and poverty reduction efforts. Sustaining this productivity poses many challenges, particularly to small scale subsistence farmers (SSF) in dry land areas and semi-arid countries like Namibia. SSF in northern central Namibia mix crop and livestock production on degraded semi-arid lands and nutrient-poor sandy soils. They are fully dependent on agricultural production with limited alternative sources of income. Mostly, their agricultural harvests and outputs are low, not meeting their livelihood needs. At the same time, the land use is often not sustainable, leading to degradation. The Namibia case reveals that addressing underlying economic, social and environmental challenges requires a combination of farm level-soil management practices with a shift towards integrated landscape management. This forms the basis for SSF to adopt sustainable land management practices while building institutional foundations, like establishing SSF cooperatives. One way in which this has been tested is through the concept of incentive-based motivation, i.e. payment for ecosystem services (PES), in which some of the beneficiaries pay, for instance for farmers or land users, who provide the services. The farmers provide these services by substituting their unsustainable land and soil management and adopting new (climate smart agricultural) land use practices. Climate Smart Agricultural land use practices (CSA-LUP) are one way of providing ecosystem services, which could be fundamental to long-term sustainable soil and land management solutions in Africa. There are few PES cases which have been systematically studied from an institutional development structure perspective. This study presents lessons evolving from the notion that direct participation and involvement of local people

Exploring Factors Affecting Voluntary Adoption of Electronic Medical Records Among Physicians and Clinical Assistants of Small or Solo Private General Practice Clinics.

PubMed

Or, Calvin; Tong, Ellen; Tan, Joseph; Chan, Summer

2018-05-29

The health care reform initiative led by the Hong Kong government's Food and Health Bureau has started the implementation of an electronic sharing platform to provide an information infrastructure that enables public hospitals and private clinics to share their electronic medical records (EMRs) for improved access to patients' health care information. However, previous attempts to convince the private clinics to adopt EMRs to document health information have faced challenges, as the EMR adoption has been voluntary. The lack of electronic data shared by private clinics carries direct impacts to the efficacy of electronic record sharing between public and private healthcare providers. To increase the likelihood of buy-in, it is essential to proactively identify the users' and organizations' needs and capabilities before large-scale implementation. As part of the reform initiative, this study examined factors affecting the adoption of EMRs in small or solo private general practice clinics, by analyzing the experiences and opinions of the physicians and clinical assistants during the pilot implementation of the technology, with the purpose to learn from it before full-scale rollout. In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 23 physicians and clinical assistants from seven small or solo private general practice clinics to evaluate their experiences, expectations, and opinions regarding the deployment of EMRs. Interview transcripts were content analyzed to identify key factors. Factors affecting the adoption of EMRs to record and manage health care information were identified as follows: system interface design; system functions; stability and reliability of hardware, software, and computing networks; financial and time costs; task and outcome performance, work practice, and clinical workflow; physical space in clinics; trust in technology; users' information technology literacy; training and technical support; and social and organizational influences. The

Factors Associated with the Economic Sustainability of the Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice.

PubMed

Coppola, Sara L; Furgeson, Danielle; Fontana, Margherita; Kinney, Janet S; Gwozdek, Anne E

2017-10-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate key factors associated with the economic sustainability of the Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice (RDHAP). Methods: An invitation to participate in a 38-question electronic survey was sent via postal mail to 440 RDHAP licentiate addressees obtained through the Dental Hygiene Committee of California (DHCC). Legal restrictions did not allow for obtaining the RDHAP licentiate email addresses from the DHCC. The survey was disseminated via email to the 254 RDHAPs who were members of the California Dental Hygienists' Association. Additional invitations to participate were made via flyer distribution at an RDHAP symposium, and on RDHAP only social media sites. Results: The response rate was an estimated 16%. While 44% of the RDHAPs reported some employment in a traditional dental practice, given the opportunity, 61% of these respondents indicated that they would practice exclusively as an RDHAP. With regard to practice strategic planning and alliances, 31% felt that dentists lacked knowledge of the RDHAP, and 25% indicated dentists were resistant to this workforce model. Regarding RDHAP practice staffing patterns, 75% indicated not having any employees. When asked about business systems, 64% had solo, portable practices and 16% had standalone practices. Economic sustainability challenges included practice business/equipment expenses (29%), insurance/reimbursement issues (21%), patient flow (19%) and RDHAP visibility (14%). Conclusions: RDHAP practices face challenges including the need for strategic planning and intra- and inter-professional alliances, efficient and effective patient flow, optimal staffing patterns and effective business systems. Focus on enhancing RDHAP visibility within the dental and medical communities should be a priority. In addition, further research should explore RDHAPs aligning with community-based clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers and Dental Support Organizations

How do health care organizations take on best practices? A scoping literature review.

PubMed

Innis, Jennifer; Dryden-Palmer, Karen; Perreira, Tyrone; Berta, Whitney

2015-12-01

The aims of this scoping literature review are to examine and summarize the organizational-level factors, context, and processes that influence the use of evidence-based practice in healthcare organizations. A scoping literature review was done to answer the question: What is known from the existing empirical literature about factors, context, and processes that influence the uptake, implementation, and sustainability of evidence-based practice in healthcare organizations? This review used the Arksey and O'Malley framework to describe findings and to identify gaps in the existing research literature. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed to screen studies. Relevant studies published between January 1991 and March 2014 were identified using four electronic databases. Study abstracts were screened for eligibility by two reviewers. Following this screening process, full-text articles were reviewed to determine the eligibility of the studies by the primary author. Eligible studies were then analyzed by coding findings with descriptive labels to distinguish elements that appeared relevant to this literature review. Coding was used to form categories, and these categories led to the development of themes. Thirty studies met the eligibility criteria for this literature review. The themes identified were: the process organizations use to select evidence-based practices for adoption, use of a needs assessment, linkage to the organization's strategic direction, organizational culture, the organization's internal social networks, resources (including education and training, presence of information technology, financial resources, resources for patient care, and staff qualifications), leadership, the presence of champions, standardization of processes, role clarity of staff, and the presence of social capital. Several gaps were identified by this review. There is a lack of research on how evidence-based practices may be sustained by organizations. Most of the

'Sustainability does not quite get the attention it deserves': synergies and tensions in the sustainability frames of Australian food policy actors.

PubMed

Trevena, Helen; Kaldor, Jenny Claire; Downs, Shauna M

2015-09-01

The development of food policy is strongly influenced by the understanding and position actors adopt in their 'framing' of sustainability. The Australian Government developed a National Food Plan (2010-2013). In public consultations on the National Food Plan Green Paper, the government sought stakeholders' views on sustainability. The present study examined the way in which the food industry and civil society organizations framed sustainability in their submissions to the Green Paper. Submissions by food industry actors and civil society organizations were analysed using a framing matrix that examined positioning, drivers, underlying principles and policy solutions related to sustainability. Submissions were open coded and subsequently organized based on themes within the framing matrix. Australia. One hundred and twenty-four written submissions (1420 pages). While submissions from industry and civil society organizations often framed sustainability similarly, there were also major differences. Civil society organizations were more likely to make the link between the food supply and population health, while industry was more likely to focus on economic sustainability. Both viewed consumer demand as a driver of sustainability, welcomed the idea of a whole-of-government approach and stressed the need for investment in research and development to improve productivity and sustainable farming practices. The meaning of sustainability shifted throughout the policy process. There are opportunities for creating shared value in food policy, where the health, environment and economic dimensions of sustainability can be compatible. However, despite pockets of optimism there is a need for a shared vision of sustainability if Australia is to have a food policy integrating these dimensions.

Sustainable diets within sustainable food systems.

PubMed

Meybeck, Alexandre; Gitz, Vincent

2017-02-01

Sustainable diets and sustainable food systems are increasingly explored by diverse scientific disciplines. They are also recognised by the international community and called upon to orient action towards the eradication of hunger and malnutrition and the fulfilment of sustainable development goals. The aim of the present paper is to briefly consider some of the links between these two notions in order to facilitate the operationalisation of the concept of sustainable diet. The concept of sustainable diet was defined in 2010 combining two totally different perspectives: a nutrition perspective, focused on individuals, and a global sustainability perspective, in all its dimensions: environmental, economic and social. The nutrition perspective can be easily related to health outcomes. The global sustainability perspective is more difficult to analyse directly. We propose that it be measured as the contribution of a diet to the sustainability of food systems. Such an approach, covering the three dimensions of sustainability, enables identification of interactions and interrelations between food systems and diets. It provides opportunities to find levers of change towards sustainability. Diets are both the results and the drivers of food systems. The drivers of change for those variously involved, consumers and private individuals, are different, and can be triggered by different dimensions (heath, environment, social and cultural). Combining different dimensions and reasons for change can help facilitate the transition to sustainable diets, recognising the food system's specificities. The adoption of sustainable diets can be facilitated and enabled by food systems, and by appropriate policies and incentives.

Adopting Learning Technologies: From Belief to Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bothma, Cornelius H.; Cant, Michael C.

2011-01-01

A challenge faced by most heads of academic departments around the world is to manage the adoption and use of appropriate learning technologies in order to support the department's learning offerings to students. Earlier research undertaken by the authors revealed that lecturers within the Department of Marketing and Retail Management at the…

Biology teachers' dissection practices and the influences that lead to their adoption: An exploratory research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milano, Regina Nicole

The lack of resolution in the on-going animal dissection debate inspired this mixed methods study to identify Connecticut secondary biology teachers' dissection practices and the influences that lead to their adoption. Qualitative findings indicate past experiences, managing objections to dissection, school culture, goals of biology teaching and ethics as major influences on dissection practices with 58.4% (n=7) of the sample dissecting and 41.6% not dissecting (n=5). Quantitative findings reveal gender, standards and curriculum, advantages of dissection and experiences as a student as major influences on dissection practices with 71.9% (n=92) of the sample dissecting and 28.1% (n=36) not dissecting. The study concludes that dissection policies are necessary and imminent in Connecticut school districts. Furthermore, it advises teacher-initiated, qualitative and quantitative assessments to expose disparities between student dissection perspectives and their own, prior to conducting dissection. Finally, it provides suggestions for addressing potential differences including administrative involvement.

Enhancing Adoption of Irrigation Scheduling to Sustain the Viability of Fruit and Nut Crops in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fulton, A.; Snyder, R.; Hillyer, C.; English, M.; Sanden, B.; Munk, D.

2012-04-01

Enhancing Adoption of Irrigation Scheduling to Sustain the Viability of Fruit and Nut Crops in California Allan Fulton, Richard Snyder, Charles Hillyer, Marshall English, Blake Sanden, and Dan Munk Adoption of scientific methods to decide when to irrigate and how much water to apply to a crop has increased over the last three decades in California. In 1988, less than 4.3 percent of US farmers employed some type of science-based technique to assist in making irrigation scheduling decisions (USDA, 1995). An ongoing survey in California, representing an industry irrigating nearly 0.4 million planted almond hectares, indicates adoption rates ranging from 38 to 55 percent of either crop evapotranspiration (ETc), soil moisture monitoring, plant water status, or some combination of these irrigation scheduling techniques to assist with making irrigation management decisions (California Almond Board, 2011). High capital investment to establish fruit and nut crops, sensitivity to over and under-irrigation on crop performance and longevity, and increasing costs and competition for water have all contributed to increased adoption of scientific irrigation scheduling methods. These trends in adoption are encouraging and more opportunities exist to develop improved irrigation scheduling tools, especially computer decision-making models. In 2009 and 2010, an "On-line Irrigation Scheduling Advisory Service" (OISO, 2012), also referred to as Online Irrigation Management (IMO), was used and evaluated in commercial walnut, almond, and French prune orchards in the northern Sacramento Valley of California. This specific model has many features described as the "Next Generation of Irrigation Schedulers" (Hillyer, 2010). While conventional irrigation management involves simply irrigating as needed to avoid crop stress, this IMO is designed to control crop stress, which requires: (i) precise control of crop water availability (rather than controlling applied water); (ii) quantifying crop

The Tidewater Z-Degree and the INTRO Model for Sustaining OER Adoption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiley, David; Williams, Linda; DeMarte, Daniel; Hilton, John

2016-01-01

A growing body of research confirms the financial and academic benefits that accrue to students whose faculty adopt open educational resources, or OER. While there are no content licensing costs associated with using OER, there are several real costs that must be incurred by an institution that chooses to support its faculty in adopting OER. The…

How the Organic Food System Supports Sustainable Diets and Translates These into Practice

PubMed Central

Strassner, Carola; Cavoski, Ivana; Di Cagno, Raffaella; Kahl, Johannes; Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle; Lairon, Denis; Lampkin, Nicolas; Løes, Anne-Kristin; Matt, Darja; Niggli, Urs; Paoletti, Flavio; Pehme, Sirli; Rembiałkowska, Ewa; Schader, Christian; Stolze, Matthias

2015-01-01

Organic production and consumption provide a delineated food system that can be explored for its potential contribution to sustainable diets. While organic agriculture improves the sustainability performance on the production side, critical reflections are made on how organic consumption patterns, understood as the practice of people consuming significant amounts of organic produce, may also be taken as an example for sustainable food consumption. The consumption patterns of regular organic consumers seem to be close to the sustainable diet concept of FAO. Certain organic-related measures might therefore be useful in the sustainability assessment of diets, e.g., organic production and organic consumption. Since diets play a central role in shaping food systems and food systems shape diets, the role of organic consumption emerges as an essential topic to be addressed. This role may be based on four important organic achievements: organic agriculture and food production has a definition, well-established principles, public standards, and useful metrics. By 2015, data for organic production and consumption are recorded annually from more than 160 countries, and regulations are in force in more than 80 countries or regions. The organic food system puts the land (agri-cultura) back into the diet; it is the land from which the diet in toto is shaped. Therefore, the organic food system provides essential components of a sustainable diet. PMID:26176912

How the Organic Food System Supports Sustainable Diets and Translates These into Practice.

PubMed

Strassner, Carola; Cavoski, Ivana; Di Cagno, Raffaella; Kahl, Johannes; Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle; Lairon, Denis; Lampkin, Nicolas; Løes, Anne-Kristin; Matt, Darja; Niggli, Urs; Paoletti, Flavio; Pehme, Sirli; Rembiałkowska, Ewa; Schader, Christian; Stolze, Matthias

2015-01-01

Organic production and consumption provide a delineated food system that can be explored for its potential contribution to sustainable diets. While organic agriculture improves the sustainability performance on the production side, critical reflections are made on how organic consumption patterns, understood as the practice of people consuming significant amounts of organic produce, may also be taken as an example for sustainable food consumption. The consumption patterns of regular organic consumers seem to be close to the sustainable diet concept of FAO. Certain organic-related measures might therefore be useful in the sustainability assessment of diets, e.g., organic production and organic consumption. Since diets play a central role in shaping food systems and food systems shape diets, the role of organic consumption emerges as an essential topic to be addressed. This role may be based on four important organic achievements: organic agriculture and food production has a definition, well-established principles, public standards, and useful metrics. By 2015, data for organic production and consumption are recorded annually from more than 160 countries, and regulations are in force in more than 80 countries or regions. The organic food system puts the land (agri-cultura) back into the diet; it is the land from which the diet in toto is shaped. Therefore, the organic food system provides essential components of a sustainable diet.

Sustainability Education: Researching Practice in Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Monica; Somerville, Margaret

2015-01-01

Many teachers are keen to implement sustainability education in primary schools but are lacking the confidence, skills and knowledge to do so. Teachers report that they do not understand the concept and cannot integrate sustainability into an already overcrowded curriculum. Identifying how teachers successfully integrate sustainability education…

EHR adoption among doctors who treat the elderly.

PubMed

Yeager, Valerie A; Menachemi, Nir; Brooks, Robert G

2010-12-01

The purpose of this study is to examine Electronic Health Record (EHR) adoption among Florida doctors who treat the elderly. This analysis contributes to the EHR adoption literature by determining if doctors who disproportionately treat the elderly differ from their counterparts with respect to the utilization of an important quality-enhancing health information technology application. This study is based on a primary survey of a large, statewide sample of doctors practising in outpatient settings in Florida. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether doctors who treat a high volume of elderly (HVE) patients were different with respect to EHR adoption. Our analyses included responses from 1724 doctors. In multivariate analyses controlling for doctor age, training, computer sophistication, practice size and practice setting, HVE doctors were significantly less likely to adopt EHR. Specifically, compared with their counterparts, HVE doctors were observed to be 26.7% less likely to be utilizing an EHR system (OR=0.733, 95% CI 0.547-0.982). We also found that doctor age is negatively related to EHR adoption, and practice size and doctor computer savvy-ness is positively associated. Despite the fact that EHR adoption has improved in recent years, doctors in Florida who serve the elderly are less likely to adopt EHRs. As long as HVE doctors are adopting EHR systems at slower rates, the elderly patients treated by these doctors will be at a disadvantage with respect to potential benefits offered by this technology. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Behavioral and Social Sciences at the National Institutes of Health: adoption of research findings in health research and practice as a scientific priority.

PubMed

Riley, William T

2017-06-01

The National Institutes of Health's Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) recently released its Strategic Plan for 2017 to 2021. This plan highlights three scientific priorities: (1) improve the synergy of basic and applied behavioral and social sciences research, (2) enhance and promote the research infrastructure, methods, and measures needed to support a more cumulative and integrated approach to behavioral and social sciences research, and (3) facilitate the adoption of behavioral and social sciences research findings in health research and in practice. This commentary focuses on the challenges and opportunities to facilitate the adoption of research findings in health research and in practice. In addition to the ongoing NIH support for dissemination and implementation (D&I) research, we must address transformative challenges and opportunities such as better disseminating and implementing D&I research, merging research and practice, adopting more rigorous and diverse methods and measures for both D&I and clinical trials research, evaluating technological-based delivery of interventions, and transitioning from minimally adaptable intervention packages to planned adaptations rooted in behavior change principles. Beyond translation into practice and policy, the OBSSR Strategic Plan also highlights the need for translation of behavioral and social science findings into the broader biomedical research enterprise.

Effect of the Salary Model on Sustainability of a Professional Practice Environment.

PubMed

Hickey, Rosa G; Buchko, Barbara L; Coe, Paula F; Woods, Anne B

2017-10-01

This replication study examined differences in RN perception of the professional practice environment (PPE) between salary- and hourly-wage compensation models over time. A previous study demonstrated that nurses in a salary-wage model had a significantly higher perception of the PPE compared with their peers receiving hourly wages. A descriptive, comparative design was used to examine the Revised Professional Practice Environment (RPPE) scale of nurses in the same units surveyed in the previous study 2 years later. Mean scores on the RPPE continued to be significantly lower for hourly-wage RNs compared with the RNs in the salary-wage model. Nurses in an hourly-wage unit have significantly lower perceptions of the clinical practice environment than their peers in a salary-wage unit, indicating that professional practice perceptions in a salary-wage unit were sustained for a 2-year period and may provide a more effective PPE.

[The outcomes of Adoption in the Case of the "British Chinese Adoption Study"].

PubMed

Rushton, Alan

2015-01-01

Practitioners can over-estimate the incidence of problems in adopted children and adults because they do not see those who make good psychological and social adjustments. Research into adoption outcomes can be hard to interpret without information about differing pre-adoption histories. Examples are given of research into three types of adoption: domestic infant adoption, adoptions from public care of maltreated children and international adoption of ex-orphanage children. Although negative outcomes are indisputably evident for some, recovery from adversity is more common than many would predict. It is important to recognize that subsequent nurturing in consistent and stimulating environments can build a platform for effective adaptations to challenges in the future. However, a proper understanding of the consequences of adoption has been limited by the fact that follow-up studies have rarely extended beyond adolescence and early adulthood. The British Chinese Adoption Study is a 50 year follow-up of orphanage girls internationally adopted into the United Kingdom, and is given as an example of good outcomes despite early years of adversity. Scores on mental health assessments were equivalent to the non-adopted, age-matched comparison group of UK women. Most of the women were rated as "good functioning" and educational achievements were many times higher than the comparison women. Life-long adverse effects are not inevitable following early adversity. Improved circumstances can promote recovery and good adult adjustment. Practice and research implications are discussed.

IMPLEMENTATION AND SUSTAINABILITY OF CHILD-PARENT PSYCHOTHERAPY: THE ROLE OF REFLECTIVE CONSULTATION IN THE LEARNING COLLABORATIVE MODEL.

PubMed

Noroña, Carmen Rosa; Acker, Michelle L

2016-11-01

Recent implementation science in mental health has focused on identifying the most effective strategies to disseminate and implement evidence-based treatments (EBTs) into real-world practice settings. The learning collaborative training methodology and its use of expert trainers/consultants have become increasingly popular as one of these approaches. Moreover, there is preliminary evidence that ongoing expert consultation may increase the adoption, learning, and sustainability of EBTs by an already practicing workforce and, consequently, help trainers, practitioners, and organizations address implementation barriers. This article describes the authors' experiences in facilitating Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) training and explores the role of reflective clinical consultation as an active process that supports the implementation of a rich, but complex, model that requires sophisticated knowledge and skills from practitioners. It examines the intricate range of the CPP consultant's functions, which ultimately support clinicians' reflective practice as they learn and adopt this EBT. Reflective consultation is proposed as an essential component for the integration of knowledge, experience, and emotions in practitioners and as a catalyst for organizational change. Using their voices as trainers-consultants and those of their trainees, the authors discuss the implications of reflective consultation for the effective implementation and sustainability of CPP. Reflections are offered on lessons learned. © 2016 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Environmental Quality and Issues of Adoption Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pampel, Fred, Jr.; van Es, J. C.

1977-01-01

Data gathered through telephone interviews with Illinois farmers are used to study the adoption of soil conservation practices (operationalization of environmental innovation) and commercial practices. (NQ)

Measures for Predictors of Innovation Adoption

PubMed Central

Chor, Ka Ho Brian; Wisdom, Jennifer P.; Olin, Su-Chin Serene; Hoagwood, Kimberly E.; Horwitz, Sarah M.

2014-01-01

Building on a narrative synthesis of adoption theories by Wisdom et al. (2013), this review identifies 118 measures associated with the 27 adoption predictors in the synthesis. The distribution of measures is uneven across the predictors and predictors vary in modifiability. Multiple dimensions and definitions of predictors further complicate measurement efforts. For state policymakers and researchers, more effective and integrated measurement can advance the adoption of complex innovations such as evidence-based practices. PMID:24740175

Abstract: Using System Dynamics Analysis for Evaluating the Sustainability of “Complete Streets” Practices

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract: Using System Dynamics Analysis for Evaluating the Sustainability of “Complete Streets” Practices Primary Author: Nicholas R. Flanders 109 T.W. Alexander Drive Mail Code: E343-02 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 919-541-3660 Flanders.nick@Epa.gov Topic categ...

U.S. Tuna Fisheries: a trifecta of sustainable practices at odds with climate change mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKuin, B.; Campbell, J. E.

2016-12-01

Environmental concerns have given rise to eco-label initiatives in the seafood industry and a shift to more sustainable fishing practices in the U.S. Currently, the greenhouse gas emissions of fisheries are being considered in the sustainability criteria of the consumer advocacy group Seafood Watch. We looked at sustainable practices employed by U.S. tuna fisheries and find the term "sustainably sourced" changes when climate forcing is added to the criteria. Specifically, there are three sustainable practices at odds with climate change mitigation: 1) the use of selective fishing gear reduces bycatch but increases fuel use; 2) fishing within exclusive economic zones is more equitable to coastal fishermen, and allows the high seas to serve as an ecological bank, but fishing within these regions means fisheries are subject to more stringent fuel sulfur laws thereby diminishing the cooling effects of sulfate aerosols and increasing climate forcing; and 3) removing sulfur from fuels improves air quality but there are added emissions from the refinery process. We used ship registry data, historical sulfur levels in fuels, gear-specific fishery fuel use data collected from the literature, historical gear-specific tuna landings data, and a range of global warming potentials to estimate the climate forcing of U.S. tuna fisheries over the last fifteen years. We found that for tuna caught within exclusive economic zones, the net fuel-related climate forcing has more than doubled over the last fifteen years. We also normalized the fuel-related climate forcing results to a unit of tuna protein and compared these results to other farmed sources of protein. We found that tuna caught within exclusive economic zones has the highest climate impact of all land-based protein sources considered, with the exception of beef. Our results can inform policy makers and consumer advocacy groups which is an important step in communicating the climate impact of dietary choices to consumers.

The Masters of Sustainable Practice: A Review of a Program for Working Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edirisinghe, Ruwini; Fraser, Kym

2014-01-01

This study sought to distil recommendations and curriculum design principles that could underpin the re-imagination of the RMIT University coursework Masters of Sustainable Practice (MSP). The aim of the study was to redesign the program to better meet the expectations of contemporary working professionals. Four data sources were used to develop…

What makes a sustainability tool valuable, practical and useful in real-world healthcare practice? A mixed-methods study on the development of the Long Term Success Tool in Northwest London

PubMed Central

Lennox, Laura; Doyle, Cathal; Reed, Julie E

2017-01-01

Objectives Although improvement initiatives show benefits to patient care, they often fail to sustain. Models and frameworks exist to address this challenge, but issues with design, clarity and usability have been barriers to use in healthcare settings. This work aimed to collaborate with stakeholders to develop a sustainability tool relevant to people in healthcare settings and practical for use in improvement initiatives. Design Tool development was conducted in six stages. A scoping literature review, group discussions and a stakeholder engagement event explored literature findings and their resonance with stakeholders in healthcare settings. Interviews, small-scale trialling and piloting explored the design and tested the practicality of the tool in improvement initiatives. Setting National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care for Northwest London (CLAHRC NWL). Participants CLAHRC NWL improvement initiative teams and staff. Results The iterative design process and engagement of stakeholders informed the articulation of the sustainability factors identified from the literature and guided tool design for practical application. Key iterations of factors and tool design are discussed. From the development process, the Long Term Success Tool (LTST) has been designed. The Tool supports those implementing improvements to reflect on 12 sustainability factors to identify risks to increase chances of achieving sustainability over time. The Tool is designed to provide a platform for improvement teams to share their own views on sustainability as well as learn about the different views held within their team to prompt discussion and actions. Conclusion The development of the LTST has reinforced the importance of working with stakeholders to design strategies which respond to their needs and preferences and can practically be implemented in real-world settings. Further research is required to study the use and

Adoption of JMM practices - A key to performance improvement of a local automotive industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohiuddin, A. K. M.; Haji, A. Jabbar Julia Bt.; Khan, Ahsan Ali; Mustafizul Karim, A. N.

2017-03-01

It is imperative for a manufacturing company all over the world to constantly look for ways to increase productivity and at the same time to lower cost to secure a competitive position. It is recognized that practices associated with Japanese Manufacturing Management (JMM) can yield a superior competitive advantage in terms of productivity, quality and provide overall successful business performance. This paper discusses the transfer of the best practices of the JMM locally and analyses the impact of adoption and adaptation of the management system as an in-depth case study conducted in a Malaysian automotive company. This study is to identify what are the changes in terms of the philosophy and practices undertaken by the company and ascertain the impact of the JMM on its manufacturing and financial performances. The elements of business performance from the viewpoint of manufacturing are based on safety, Parts Per Million (PPM), in-line Defect per Unit (DPU), First Time Quality (FTQ), cycle time, productivity, efficiency and stock level. The results show a positive impact to the automotive plant manufacturing performance. For example, safety index has reduced to 0 major accident occurrences. The PPM and In-line DPU have improved by 98% and 91% respectively whereas the FTQ has improved by 167%. Cycle time has reduced from 20 to 6 minutes and productivity increased up to 43% whilst the efficiency reached at 99.9%. The stock level was reduced from half month to 3 days after the adoption of the JMM. The revenue has increased up to 92%, the percentage of expenses has reduced from 11.04% to 3.06% giving an improvement of 72% whilst the net profit has increased from 5.33% to 8.15%. The Return of Asset (RoA) and Return of Equity (RoE) also showed slight improvement despite the effects from the restructuring exercise, Tsunami calamity and fluctuation in Japanese exchange rate.

Maternal Attachment Behaviors with Adopted and Birth Infants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Marilyn M.

This study investigated: (1) effects of teaching mothers the unique behavioral cues of their adopted infants and (2) potential differences between the mothering practices of adoptive and birth mothers. A pretest, posttest experimental prospective design was used with random assignment of mother-infant dyads. Mother-adopted infant dyads were…

Predictors of students' self-reported adoption of a smartphone application for medical education in general practice.

PubMed

Sandholzer, Maximilian; Deutsch, Tobias; Frese, Thomas; Winter, Alfred

2015-05-21

Smartphones and related applications are increasingly gaining relevance in the healthcare domain. We previously assessed the demands and preferences of medical students towards an application accompanying them during a course on general practice. The current study aims to elucidate the factors associated with adoption of such a technology. Therefore we provided students with a prototype of an application specifically related to their studies in general practice. A total estimation among students participating in a general practice examination at the Leipzig Medical School was conducted in May 2014. Students were asked to answer a structured self-designed questionnaire. Univariable comparisons were made to identify significant differences between those students who reported to have used the application frequently and those who did not. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to reveal independent predictors of frequent application usage. The response rate was 99.3 % (n = 305/307). The majority (59 %, n = 180/305) were female students. The mean age was 24.5 years and 79.9 % (n = 243/304) owned a smartphone or tablet computer. Regarding the usage of the provided application, 2.3 % (n = 7/303) did not use the app while 68.0 % (n = 206/303) replied to have used it more than five times. Frequent users significantly differed from non-frequent users with regard to being female rather than male, higher mobile device ownership, more frequent exchange about obtaining the course certificate, higher personal interest in new technologies, larger enjoyment of the technology, lower intention to not use smartphone applications in the future, better opinion towards smartphone applications for the profession of a doctor, higher perceived importance of medical applications on the job, higher compatibility of smartphone applications with personal work style, higher perceived relevance of university support and personal benefit of use. Multivariable

Challenges for Sustainable Land Management through Climate-Smart Agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dougill, Andrew; Stringer, Lindsay

2017-04-01

There are increasing pushes for agricultural land management to be both sustainable and climate-smart (in terms of increasing productivity, building resilience to climate change and enhancing carbon storage). Climate-smart agriculture initiatives include conservation agriculture, based on minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop rotation, and agroforestry. Such efforts address key international goals of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), but as yet have not seen widespread uptake. Based on analyses of different project interventions from across a range of southern African countries, we outline the inter-related challenges that are preventing adoption of climate-smart agriculture initiatives. We then identify routes to building multi-stakeholder partnerships and empowering communities through participatory monitoring with the aim of increasing uptake of such sustainable land management practices. Good practice examples remain largely restricted to local-level project interventions with significant donor (or private-sector) support, aligned to short-term community priorities relating to access to inputs or reduced labour requirements. Scaling-up to district- and national-level initiatives is yet to be widely successful due to problems of: limited policy coherence; a lack of communication between stakeholders at different levels; and limited understanding of long-term benefits associated with changes in agricultural practices. We outline opportunities associated with improved communication of climate information, empowerment of district-level adaptation planning and diversification of agricultural livelihood strategies as key routes to guide farmers towards more sustainable, and climate-smart, land management practices. Recent experiences in Malawi, which has experienced significant floods and an El Niño drought year in the last two years, are used to

Classifying Adoption of Sustainability Policies and Programs: Quantitative and Qualitative Methods for the Development of a Community Sustainability Typology

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding how and why different communities engage with sustainability policies and actions is of critical importance for furthering implementation of innovative and conventional sustainability strategies. Despite this importance, an understanding of how and why communities a...

Rethinking the sustainability of Israel's irrigation practices in the Drylands.

PubMed

Tal, Alon

2016-03-01

Broad utilization of drip irrigation technologies in Israel has contributed to the 1600 percent increase in the value of produce grown by local farmers over the past sixty-five years. The recycling of 86% of Israeli sewage now provides 50% of the country's irrigation water and is the second, idiosyncratic component in Israel's strategy to overcome water scarcity and maintain agriculture in a dryland region. The sustainability of these two practices is evaluated in light of decades of experience and ongoing research by the local scientific community. The review confirms the dramatic advantages of drip irrigation over time, relative to flood, furrow and sprinkler irrigation and its significance as a central component in agricultural production, especially under arid conditions. In contrast, empirical findings increasingly report damage to soil and to crops from salinization caused by irrigation with effluents. To be environmentally and agriculturally sustainable over time, wastewater reuse programs must ensure extremely high quality treated effluents and ultimately seek the desalinization of recycled sewage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can novel management practice improve soil and environmental quality and sustain crop yield simultaneously?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Little is known about management practices that can simultaneously improve soil and environmental quality and sustain crop yields. The effect of a combination of tillage, crop rotation, and N fertilization on soil C and N, global warming potential (GWP), greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI), and malt bar...

Drivers for precision livestock technology adoption: A study of factors associated with adoption of electronic identification technology by commercial sheep farmers in England and Wales

PubMed Central

Hopkins, Thomas; Gurney, Emma; Shortall, Orla; Lovatt, Fiona; Davies, Peers; Williamson, George; Kaler, Jasmeet

2018-01-01

The UK is the largest lamb meat producer in Europe. However, the low profitability of sheep farming sector suggests production efficiency could be improved. Although the use of technologies such as Electronic Identification (EID) tools could allow a better use of flock resources, anecdotal evidence suggests they are not widely used. The aim of this study was to assess uptake of EID technology, and explore drivers and barriers of adoption of related tools among English and Welsh farmers. Farm beliefs and management practices associated with adoption of this technology were investigated. A total of 2000 questionnaires were sent, with a response rate of 22%. Among the respondents, 87 had adopted EID tools for recording flock information, 97 intended to adopt it in the future, and 222 neither had adopted it, neither intended to adopt it. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multivariable logistic regression modelling were used to identify farmer beliefs and management practices significantly associated with adoption of EID technology. EFA identified three factors expressing farmer’s beliefs–external pressure and negative feelings, usefulness and practicality. Our results suggest farmer’s beliefs play a significant role in technology uptake. Non-adopters were more likely than adopters to believe that ‘government pressurise farmers to adopt technology’. In contrast, adopters were significantly more likely than non-adopters to see EID as practical and useful (p≤0.05). Farmers with higher information technologies literacy and intending to intensify production in the future were significantly more likely to adopt EID technology (p≤0.05). Importantly, flocks managed with EID tools had significantly lower farmer- reported flock lameness levels (p≤0.05). These findings bring insights on the dynamics of adoption of EID tools. Communicating evidence of the positive effects EID tools on flock performance and strengthening farmer’s capability in use of

The Value of Successful MBSE Adoption

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parrott, Edith

2016-01-01

The value of successful adoption of Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) practices is hard to quantify. Most engineers and project managers look at the success in terms of cost. But there are other ways to quantify the value of MBSE and the steps necessary to achieve adoption. The Glenn Research Center (GRC) has been doing Model-Based Engineering (design, structural, etc.) for years, but the system engineering side has not. Since 2010, GRC has been moving from documents centric to MBSE/SysML. Project adoption of MBSE has been slow, but is steadily increasing in both MBSE usage and complexity of generated products. Sharing of knowledge of lessons learned in the implementation of MBSE/SysML is key for others who want to be successful. Along with GRC's implementation, NASA is working hard to increase the successful implementation of MBSE across all the other centers by developing guidelines, templates and libraries for projects to utilize. This presentation will provide insight into recent GRC and NASA adoption efforts, lessons learned and best practices.

Groundwater recharge and sustainability in the High Plains aquifer in Kansas, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sophocleous, M.

2005-01-01

Sustainable use of groundwater must ensure not only that the future resource is not threatened by overuse, but also that natural environments that depend on the resource, such as stream baseflows, riparian vegetation, aquatic ecosystems, and wetlands are protected. To properly manage groundwater resources, accurate information about the inputs (recharge) and outputs (pumpage and natural discharge) within each groundwater basin is needed so that the long-term behavior of the aquifer and its sustainable yield can be estimated or reassessed. As a first step towards this effort, this work highlights some key groundwater recharge studies in the Kansas High Plains at different scales, such as regional soil-water budget and groundwater modeling studies, county-scale groundwater recharge studies, as well as field-experimental local studies, including some original new findings, with an emphasis on assumptions and limitations as well as on environmental factors affecting recharge processes. The general impact of irrigation and cultivation on recharge is to appreciably increase the amount of recharge, and in many cases to exceed precipitation as the predominant source of recharge. The imbalance between the water input (recharge) to the High Plains aquifer and the output (pumpage and stream baseflows primarily) is shown to be severe, and responses to stabilize the system by reducing water use, increasing irrigation efficiency, adopting water-saving land-use practices, and other measures are outlined. Finally, the basic steps necessary to move towards sustainable use of groundwater in the High Plains are delineated, such as improving the knowledge base, reporting and providing access to information, furthering public education, as well as promoting better understanding of the public's attitudinal motivations; adopting the ecosystem and adaptive management approaches to managing groundwater; further improving water efficiency; exploiting the full potential of dryland and

The Social Agenda of Education for Sustainable Development within Design & Technology: The Case of the Sustainable Design Award

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitt, James; Lubben, Fred

2009-01-01

The paper explores the adoption of the social dimensions of sustainability in technological design tasks. It uses a lens which contrasts education for sustainability as "a frame of mind" with an attempt to bridge a "value-action gap". This lens is used to analyse the effectiveness of the Sustainable Design Award, an intervention in post-16…

Sustainable developments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

Hundreds of diplomats, along with industry, finance, environment, and labor leaders from around the world met from April 20 to May 1 for the sixth session of the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD), an annual follow-up conference to track the Agenda 21 program of action adopted at the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit.During the session, which focused on freshwater management concerns and the role of industry in sustainable development, the participants discussed a number of issues about development and parity among northern and southern hemisphere countries.

Children's Exposure to Sustainability Practices during the Transition from Preschool into School and Their Learning and Socioemotional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benner, Aprile D.; Thornton, Anna; Crosnoe, Robert

2017-01-01

Evidence that the learning gains of preschool fade as children transition into elementary school has led to increased efforts to sustain preschool advantages during this key transitional period. This study explores whether the observed benefits of sustainability practices for a range of child outcomes are explained and/or moderated by family and…

The Sustainable Development Assessment of Reservoir Resettlement Based on a BP Neural Network.

PubMed

Huang, Li; Huang, Jian; Wang, Wei

2018-01-18

Resettlement affects not only the resettlers' production activities and life but also, directly or indirectly, the normal operation of power stations, the sustainable development of the resettlers, and regional social stability. Therefore, a scientific evaluation index system for the sustainable development of reservoir resettlement must be established that fits Chinese national conditions and not only promotes reservoir resettlement research but also improves resettlement practice. This essay builds an evaluation index system for resettlers' sustainable development based on a back-propagation (BP) neural network, which can be adopted in China, taking the resettlement necessitated by step hydropower stations along the Wujiang River cascade as an example. The assessment results show that the resettlement caused by step power stations along the Wujiang River is sustainable, and this evaluation supports the conclusion that national policies and regulations, which are undergoing constant improvement, and resettlement has increasingly improved. The results provide a reference for hydropower reservoir resettlement in developing countries.

The Sustainable Development Assessment of Reservoir Resettlement Based on a BP Neural Network

PubMed Central

Huang, Li; Huang, Jian

2018-01-01

Resettlement affects not only the resettlers’ production activities and life but also, directly or indirectly, the normal operation of power stations, the sustainable development of the resettlers, and regional social stability. Therefore, a scientific evaluation index system for the sustainable development of reservoir resettlement must be established that fits Chinese national conditions and not only promotes reservoir resettlement research but also improves resettlement practice. This essay builds an evaluation index system for resettlers’ sustainable development based on a back-propagation (BP) neural network, which can be adopted in China, taking the resettlement necessitated by step hydropower stations along the Wujiang River cascade as an example. The assessment results show that the resettlement caused by step power stations along the Wujiang River is sustainable, and this evaluation supports the conclusion that national policies and regulations, which are undergoing constant improvement, and resettlement has increasingly improved. The results provide a reference for hydropower reservoir resettlement in developing countries. PMID:29346305

Sustainable Development in Indian Automotive Component Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhaskaran, E.

2013-01-01

India is the world's second fastest growing auto market and boasts of the sixth largest automobile industry after China, the US, Germany, Japan and Brazil. The Indian auto component industry recorded its highest year-on-year growth of 34.2 % in 2010-2011, raking in revenue of US 39.9 billion; major contribution coming from exports at US five billion and fresh investment from the US at around US two billion. For inclusive growth and sustainable development most of the auto components manufacturers has adopted the cluster development approach. The objective is to study the technical efficiency (θ), peer weights (λ i ), input slacks (S-) and output slacks (S+) of four Auto Component Clusters (ACC) in India. The methodology adopted is using Data Envelopment Analysis of Input Oriented Banker Charnes Cooper Model by taking number of units and number of employments as inputs and sales and exports in crores as an outputs. The non-zero λ i 's represents the weights for efficient clusters. The S > 0 obtained for one ACC reveals the excess no. of units (S-) and employment (S-) and shortage in sales (S+) and exports (S+). However the variable returns to scale are increasing for three clusters, constant for one more cluster and with nil decrease. To conclude, for inclusive growth and sustainable development, the inefficient ACC should increase their turnover and exports, as decrease in no. of enterprises and employment is practically not possible. Moreover for sustainable development, the ACC should strengthen infrastructure interrelationships, technology interrelationships, procurement interrelationships, production interrelationships and marketing interrelationships to increase productivity and efficiency to compete in the world market.

Existing and Potential Incentives for Practicing Sustainable Forestry on Non-industrial Private Forest Lands

Treesearch

John L. Greene; Michael A. Kilgore; Michael G. Jacobson; Steven E. Daniels; Thomas J. Straka

2007-01-01

This study examined the compatibility between sustainable forestry practices and the framework of public and private financial incentive programs directed toward nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) owners. The incentives include tax, cost-share, and other types of programs. The study consisted of four components: a literature review, a mail survey of selected...

Assessing advantages and barriers to telemedicine adoption in the practice setting: A MyCareTeam(TM) exemplar.

PubMed

L'Esperance, Shaun T; Perry, Donna J

2016-06-01

Telemedicine is an evolving field that holds great potential to improve patient outcomes. The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties core competencies now require all nurse practitioners (NPs) to be competent utilizing telemedicine to address various patient and healthcare system needs. While telemedicine offers advantages to patient care, adoption of new technologies can be challenging. An assessment of perceived advantages and barriers to MyCareTeam, an online diabetes management system, was conducted at an adult diabetes clinic. Two survey questionnaires were developed based on the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory. The surveys were administered to patients in the clinic waiting room and sent to all clinical staff via an e-mail link. The findings of this project suggested a novel way to classify patients with regard to their use of the technology with implications for practice. Recommendations include outreach to enhance knowledge and awareness of MyCareTeam, reinforcing the full scope of the system, and improved technical support. DOI theory is a framework that may be utilized by NPs as a tool for assessing advantages and barriers to telemedicine applications in the practice setting in order to identify strategies to promote adoption and use. ©2015 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Level of awareness of lung cancer risk factors, signs, symptoms and safe practices among college teachers of different states in India: Do awareness programmes have an impact on adoption of safe practices?

PubMed

Shankar, A; Roy, S; Bhandari, R; Malik, A; Rath, G K; Julka, P K; Barnwal, K; Upadhyaya, S; Singh, R; Srivastava, V

2015-09-01

Lung cancer is the one of the most common cause of cancer mortality among men in India where incidence rates are increasing although they are largely preventable diseases. In India, late presentation is generally responsible for high mortality and morbidity rates and early detection is one of the best ways to control it. The purpose of this study is to measure the level of awareness on lung cancer among women represented by a sample of college teachers in India and the impact of awareness programs in changing or adopting safer practices and the prevention and early detection of the disease. The assessment was conducted during a Pink Chain Campaign on cancer awareness in 2011 in various women colleges in India. Pre-test related to lung cancer was followed by awareness programs. Posttest using the same questionnaire was conducted at the end of interactive session, at 1 year and 6 months. A total of 156 out of 182 teachers participated in the study (overall response rate was 85.7%). Mean age of the study population was 42.4 years (range- 28-59 yrs). There was a significant increase in level of knowledge regarding lung cancer at 6 months and this was sustained at 1 year. Magazines and newspapers were the primary source for information regarding risk factors, signs and symptoms of lung cancer in more than 60% of teachers whereas more than 30% teachers were educated by doctors. At post-awareness after 1 year and 6 months, there was a significant change in alcohol and smoking habits. The main reasons for not undergoing screening tests are: ignorance (50%), lethargic attitude (44.8 %) and lack of time (34.6 %). Knowledge about lung cancer was very low among teachers. Overall awareness of risk factors, signs and symptoms, and screening modalities of lung cancer have improved after 1 year along with practices related to smoking and alcohol consumption. There was a significant improvement in people undergoing regular check-up's. Improved means of communication, access to

Sustainable Implementation of Interprofessional Education Using an Adoption Model Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grymonpre, Ruby E.; Ateah, Christine A.; Dean, Heather J.; Heinonen, Tuula I.; Holmqvist, Maxine E.; MacDonald, Laura L.; Ready, A. Elizabeth; Wener, Pamela F.

2016-01-01

Interprofessional education (IPE) is a growing focus for educators in health professional academic programs. Recommendations to successfully implement IPE are emerging in the literature, but there remains a dearth of evidence informing the bigger challenges of sustainability and scalability. Transformation to interprofessional education for…

The Polish Interventional Cardiology TAVI Survey (PICTS): adoption and practice of transcatheter aortic valve implantation in Poland.

PubMed

Parma, Radosław; Dąbrowski, Maciej; Ochała, Andrzej; Witkowski, Adam; Dudek, Dariusz; Siudak, Zbigniew; Legutko, Jacek

2017-01-01

Few studies have assessed the development of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in Poland since its introduction in 2008, and data on current TAVI activity or practice are missing. To assess the dynamics of TAVI adoption in Poland and to detect differences among Polish centres in TAVI practice and decision-making. The Polish Interventional Cardiology TAVI Survey (PICTS) was approved by the Polish Association of Cardiovascular Interventions and presented to all 21 national TAVI centres. Between 2008 and 2015 the cumulative number of TAVI performed in Poland was 2189. The annual number of TAVI rose from 8 in 2008 to 670 in 2015 (0.21 to 17.4 implants per million inhabitants, respectively). The median TAVI experience per centre was 80 procedures (95% CI: 38.1-154.6). In 2015 the TAVI penetration rate reached 5.12% of the estimated eligible Polish population. Inoperable and high-risk patients are treated with TAVI in all centres, with 52% of Heart Teams also qualifying medium-risk patients. The rate of transfemoral implantations increased to 83.2% of all procedures in 2015, while transapical implantations decreased to 12%. The frequency of subclavian, direct aortic or transcarotid routes in 2015 was below 3% each. The PICTS survey observed a positive but slow rate of adoption of TAVI in Poland. When compared to Western European countries, our findings highlight a significant treatment gap in high or prohibitive surgical risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. Remarkable variations in TAVI practices among Polish TAVI centres warrant publication of joint national guidelines and recommendations.

Ethical Perspectives on the Current Controversy Regarding Openness in Adoption.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tavis, Timothy M.

This paper outlines current changes in American adoption practice and the controversies surrounding these changes. It includes a discussion of the role that neo-Kantian and utilitarian perspectives have played in American adoption policy and practice, and offers an alternative, the communitarian perspective, described by Sandel (1984). Adoption…

Factors That Lead to Environmentally Sustainable Practices in the Restaurant Industry: A Qualitative Analysis of Two Green Restaurant Innovators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyheim, Peter

2012-01-01

In recent years, more organizations, including restaurants, have concerned themselves with sustainability. As with any new endeavor, guidance is needed. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that lead to environmentally sustainable practices in the restaurant industry. Using Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation Theory as a…

State Adoption of Incentives to Promote Evidence-Based Practices in Behavioral Health Systems.

PubMed

Stewart, Rebecca E; Marcus, Steven C; Hadley, Trevor R; Hepburn, Brian M; Mandell, David S

2018-06-01

Despite the critical role behavioral health care payers can play in creating an incentive to use evidence-based practices (EBPs), little research has examined which incentives are used in public mental health systems, the largest providers of mental health care in the United States. The authors surveyed state mental health directors from 44 states about whether they used any of seven strategies to increase the use of EBPs. Participants also ranked attributes of each incentive on the basis of key characteristics of diffusion of innovation theory (perceived advantage, simplicity, compatibility, observability, and gradually implementable) and perceived effectiveness. Almost three-quarters of state directors endorsed using at least one financial incentive; most paid for training and technical assistance. Few used other incentives. Strategies perceived as simple and compatible were more readily adopted. Enhanced rates and paying for better outcomes were perceived as the most effective but were the least deployed, suggesting that simplicity and organizational compatibility may be the most decisive factors when choosing incentives. Payers are not using the incentives they perceive as most effective, and they are mostly using only one strategy for reasons of simplicity and compatibility. Future work should focus on barriers to measurement that likely hinder the adoption and implementation of paying for better outcomes and enhanced reimbursement rates, with the ultimate goal of measuring the effectiveness of incentives on EBP implementation efforts.

What makes a sustainability tool valuable, practical and useful in real-world healthcare practice? A mixed-methods study on the development of the Long Term Success Tool in Northwest London.

PubMed

Lennox, Laura; Doyle, Cathal; Reed, Julie E; Bell, Derek

2017-09-24

Although improvement initiatives show benefits to patient care, they often fail to sustain. Models and frameworks exist to address this challenge, but issues with design, clarity and usability have been barriers to use in healthcare settings. This work aimed to collaborate with stakeholders to develop a sustainability tool relevant to people in healthcare settings and practical for use in improvement initiatives. Tool development was conducted in six stages. A scoping literature review, group discussions and a stakeholder engagement event explored literature findings and their resonance with stakeholders in healthcare settings. Interviews, small-scale trialling and piloting explored the design and tested the practicality of the tool in improvement initiatives. National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care for Northwest London (CLAHRC NWL). CLAHRC NWL improvement initiative teams and staff. The iterative design process and engagement of stakeholders informed the articulation of the sustainability factors identified from the literature and guided tool design for practical application. Key iterations of factors and tool design are discussed. From the development process, the Long Term Success Tool (LTST) has been designed. The Tool supports those implementing improvements to reflect on 12 sustainability factors to identify risks to increase chances of achieving sustainability over time. The Tool is designed to provide a platform for improvement teams to share their own views on sustainability as well as learn about the different views held within their team to prompt discussion and actions. The development of the LTST has reinforced the importance of working with stakeholders to design strategies which respond to their needs and preferences and can practically be implemented in real-world settings. Further research is required to study the use and effectiveness of the tool in practice and assess engagement with

Strategies to enable the adoption of animal biotechnology to sustainably improve global food safety and security.

PubMed

Tizard, Mark; Hallerman, Eric; Fahrenkrug, Scott; Newell-McGloughlin, Martina; Gibson, John; de Loos, Frans; Wagner, Stefan; Laible, Götz; Han, Jae Yong; D'Occhio, Michael; Kelly, Lisa; Lowenthal, John; Gobius, Kari; Silva, Primal; Cooper, Caitlin; Doran, Tim

2016-10-01

The ability to generate transgenic animals has existed for over 30 years, and from those early days many predicted that the technology would have beneficial applications in agriculture. Numerous transgenic agricultural animals now exist, however to date only one product from a transgenic animal has been approved for the food chain, due in part to cumbersome regulations. Recently, new techniques such as precision breeding have emerged, which enables the introduction of desired traits without the use of transgenes. The rapidly growing human population, environmental degradation, and concerns related to zoonotic and pandemic diseases have increased pressure on the animal agriculture sector to provide a safe, secure and sustainable food supply. There is a clear need to adopt transgenic technologies as well as new methods such as gene editing and precision breeding to meet these challenges and the rising demand for animal products. To achieve this goal, cooperation, education, and communication between multiple stakeholders-including scientists, industry, farmers, governments, trade organizations, NGOs and the public-is necessary. This report is the culmination of concepts first discussed at an OECD sponsored conference and aims to identify the main barriers to the adoption of animal biotechnology, tactics for navigating those barriers, strategies to improve public perception and trust, as well as industry engagement, and actions for governments and trade organizations including the OECD to harmonize regulations and trade agreements. Specifically, the report focuses on animal biotechnologies that are intended to improve breeding and genetics and currently are not routinely used in commercial animal agriculture. We put forward recommendations on how scientists, regulators, and trade organizations can work together to ensure that the potential benefits of animal biotechnology can be realized to meet the future needs of agriculture to feed the world.

18 CFR 401.24 - Preparation and adoption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Preparation and adoption. 401.24 Section 401.24 Conservation of Power and Water Resources DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Water Resources Program § 401.24 Preparation and adoption...

18 CFR 401.24 - Preparation and adoption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Preparation and adoption. 401.24 Section 401.24 Conservation of Power and Water Resources DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Water Resources Program § 401.24 Preparation and adoption...

18 CFR 401.24 - Preparation and adoption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Preparation and adoption. 401.24 Section 401.24 Conservation of Power and Water Resources DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Water Resources Program § 401.24 Preparation and adoption...

18 CFR 401.24 - Preparation and adoption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2013-04-01 2012-04-01 true Preparation and adoption. 401.24 Section 401.24 Conservation of Power and Water Resources DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Water Resources Program § 401.24 Preparation and adoption...

18 CFR 401.24 - Preparation and adoption.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Preparation and adoption. 401.24 Section 401.24 Conservation of Power and Water Resources DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE Water Resources Program § 401.24 Preparation and adoption...

75 FR 71069 - Adopted Adjustments to Alternative Site Framework

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-22

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Foreign-Trade Zones Board Adopted Adjustments to Alternative Site Framework SUMMARY: The Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board has adopted minor adjustments to its practice pertaining to the alternative site framework (ASF) originally adopted by the Board in December 2008 (74 FR 1170, 01...

Assessment of the benefits and costs associated with the adoption of the recommended fire safety practices for rail transit materials selection

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-12-01

This report presents the results of an assessment of the benefits and costs associated with the adoption of Recommended Fire Safety Practices for Rail Transit Materials Selection for rapid rail transit and light rail transit vehicles. The potential b...

Sustaining Writing Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patrick, Amy M.

2010-01-01

This article examines ways in which the fundamentals of both writing studies and sustainability studies overlap and complement each other, ultimately moving toward a theory of writing that not only is sustainable, but that also sustains writing practice across a variety of areas. For example, in order to be sustainable, both writing and…

Building resilience to social-ecological change through farmers' learning practices in semi-arid Makueni County Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ifejika Speranza, Chinwe; Kiteme, Boniface; Kimathi Mbae, John; Schmude, Miron

2015-04-01

management practices, their capacity to act can be constrained by various factors. Through learning about new land management technologies and adaptation practices, and adapting these to their local contexts, farmers attempt to balance the risks and opportunities arising from social-ecological change. They share and transfer the acquired knowledge to other farmers. While success has been achieved in adoption of sustainable land management practices by many farmers, adoption by other farmers and practice by all farmers remain constrained by various social-ecological factors. The implications of the research findings for interventions and policies aimed at sustainable land management and improved food production are discussed.

GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE REMEDIATION BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-07

adoption. The technologies covered include air sparging, biosparging, soil vapor extraction (SVE), enhanced reductive dechlorination (ERD), in situ...RPM Remedial Project Manager SCR selective catalytic reduction SEE steam enhanced extraction SVE soil vapor extraction TCE trichloroethene...further promote their adoption. The technologies covered include air sparging, biosparging, soil vapor extraction (SVE), enhanced reductive

The Role of School Design in Shaping Healthy Eating-Related Attitudes, Practices, and Behaviors among School Staff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frerichs, Leah; Brittin, Jeri; Intolubbe-Chmil, Loren; Trowbridge, Matthew; Sorensen, Dina; Huang, Terry T.-K.

2016-01-01

Background: Schools have increasing responsibility to address healthy eating, but physical barriers influence their ability to adopt and sustain recommended strategies. We took advantage of a natural experiment to investigate the role of the physical environment in shaping healthy eating attitudes and practices among school staff members. Methods:…

Sustainable waste management in Africa through CDM projects.

PubMed

Couth, R; Trois, C

2012-11-01

Only few Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects (traditionally focussed on landfill gas combustion) have been registered in Africa if compared to similar developing countries. The waste hierarchy adopted by many African countries clearly shows that waste recycling and composting projects are generally the most sustainable. This paper undertakes a sustainability assessment for practical waste treatment and disposal scenarios for Africa and makes recommendations for consideration. The appraisal in this paper demonstrates that mechanical biological treatment of waste becomes more financially attractive if established through the CDM process. Waste will continue to be dumped in Africa with increasing greenhouse gas emissions produced, unless industrialised countries (Annex 1) fund carbon emission reduction schemes through a replacement to the Kyoto Protocol. Such a replacement should calculate all of the direct and indirect carbon emission savings and seek to promote public-private partnerships through a concerted support of the informal sector. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the impacts of sustainable agricultural practices for water quality improvements in the Vouga catchment (Portugal) using the SWAT model.

PubMed

Rocha, João; Roebeling, Peter; Rial-Rivas, María Ermitas

2015-12-01

The extensive use of fertilizers has become one of the most challenging environmental issues in agricultural catchment areas. In order to reduce the negative impacts from agricultural activities and to accomplish the objectives of the European Water Framework Directive we must consider the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices. In this study, we assess sustainable agricultural practices based on reductions in N-fertilizer application rates (from 100% to 0%) and N-application methods (single, split and slow-release) across key agricultural land use classes in the Vouga catchment, Portugal. The SWAT model was used to relate sustainable agricultural practices, agricultural yields and N-NO3 water pollution deliveries. Results show that crop yields as well as N-NO3 exportation rates decrease with reductions in N-application rates and single N-application methods lead to lower crop yields and higher N-NO3 exportation rates as compared to split and slow-release N-application methods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Engineering for Sustainable Development and the Common Good

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, William E.

2006-01-01

In 1994, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) updated its Code of Ethics to include specific statements on sustainable development and at about the same time, 1994, ASCE adopted its Policy 418 on sustainable development. Sustainable development as defined by ASCE "is the challenge of meeting human needs for natural resources, industrial…

Environmental Sustainability Practices in Publicly Supported Two-Year Colleges in the Southern United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Posey, Michael J.; Webster, Ann H.

2013-01-01

In September of 2012, a mixed methods exploratory research study was conducted from among the 270 presidents of public two-year colleges in the 11-state region accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The purpose of the study was to examine the environmental sustainability practices used at these…

[Adoption in terms of current regulations].

PubMed

Launay, C

1989-03-01

Legal decisions concerning adoption taken over the last thirty years have usually followed changes in public opinion. For instance, the July 11 1966 Act has practically put an end to conflicts between adopting parents and biologic mothers (or parents) and has specified adoption eligibility criteria. At present, because most adoptions are successful and numbers of children eligible for adoption are falling steadily, efforts are being made to allow the adoption of the greatest possible number of children at a young age; some handicapped children as well as older children are also considered as adoptable. Older children who were neglected in their former environment occasionally experience psychologic problems; for them, decisions can be taken only individually and foster home placement with the potential adoptive parents can be used as a first step. Today, the practitioner's role is mainly to inform the adoptive parents on the impact of a given somatic or (if possible) psychologic handicap. The current tendency is to maintain the greatest possible number of children within their family environment by supporting the family and allowing the child and parents to participate in all the decisions concerning them. Adoption of French children is becoming more and more difficult, explaining why foreign-born children are being increasingly adopted.

Best Practices for Financial Sustainability of Healthy Food Service Guidelines in Hospital Cafeterias.

PubMed

Jilcott Pitts, Stephanie; Schwartz, Brittany; Graham, John; Warnock, Amy Lowry; Mojica, Angelo; Marziale, Erin; Harris, Diane

2018-05-17

In February and March 2017 we examined barriers and facilitators to financial sustainability of healthy food service guidelines and synthesized best practices for financial sustainability in retail operations. We conducted qualitative, in-depth interviews with 8 hospital food service directors to learn more about barriers and facilitators to financial sustainability of healthy food service guidelines in retail food service operations. Analysts organized themes around headers in the interview guide and also made note of emerging themes not in the original guide. They used the code occurrence and co-occurrence features in Dedoose version 7.0.23 (SocioCultural Research Consultants) independently to analyze patterns across the interviews and to pull illustrative quotes for analysis. Two overarching themes emerged, related to 1) the demand for and sales of healthy foods and beverages, and 2) the production and supply of healthy foods and beverages. Our study provides insights into how hospital food service directors can maximize revenue and remain financially viable while selling healthier options in on-site dining facilities.

The transition into adoptive parenthood: Adoption as a process of continued unsafe uncertainty when family scripts collide.

PubMed

Tasker, Fiona; Wood, Sally

2016-10-01

Our prospective study investigated couples' expectations of adoptive parenthood and explored how these changed with their actual experience of parenthood. Six heterosexual couples were interviewed just before placement began and 6 months after the children had arrived. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse both sets of interview data. Expectations of adoptive parenthood mostly transformed smoothly into adoption experience for couples, but challenges were experienced when family scripts collided and a continued feeling of unsafe uncertainty then prevailed within these newly formed family systems. Family script collision seemed a particular problem for couples adopting sibling pairs. To further professional practice in working with families over the transition to adoptive parenting, we suggest that professionals keep in mind a framework that includes the following: Internal and external world influences on family members, Intergenerational issues, Family scripts and the Structural challenges of adoption (IIFS). © The Author(s) 2016.

Adoption of dental innovations

PubMed Central

Ramoni, Rachel B.; Etolue, Jini; Tokede, Oluwabunmi; McClellan, Lyle; Simmons, Kristen; Yansane, Alfa; White, Joel M.; Walji, Muhammad F.; Kalenderian, Elsbeth

2017-01-01

Background Standardized dental diagnostic terminologies (SDDxTs) were introduced decades ago. Their use has been on the rise, accompanying the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs). One of the most broadly used terminologies is the Dental Diagnostic System (DDS). Our aim was to assess the adoption of SDDxTs by US dental schools by using the Rogers diffusion of innovations framework, focusing on the DDS. Methods The authors electronically surveyed clinic deans in all US dental schools (n = 61) to determine use of an EHR and SDDxT, perceived barriers to adoption of an SDDxT, and the effect of implementing an SDDxT on clinical productivity. Results The response rate was 57%. Of the 35 responses, 91% reported using an EHR to document patient care, with 84% using axiUm, and 69% reported using an SDDxT to document patient diagnoses; 41% used the DDS. Fifty-four percent of those who did not use an SDDxT had considered adopting the DDS, but 39% had not, citing barriers such as complexity and compatibility. Conclusions Adoption of an SDDxT, particularly the DDS, is on the rise. Nevertheless, a large number of institutions are in the Rogers late majority and laggards categories with respect to adoption. Several factors may discourage adoption, including the inability to try out the terminology on a small scale, poor usability within the EHR, the fact that it would be a cultural shift in practice, and a perception of unclear benefits. However, the consolidation of the DDS and American Dental Association terminology efforts stands to encourage adoption. PMID:28364948

Report on the Third Workshop on Sustainable Software for Science: Practice and Experiences (WSSSPE3)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Daniel S.; Choi, Sou-Cheng T.; Niemeyer, Kyle E.; Hetherington, James; Löffler, Frank; Gunter, Dan; Idaszak, Ray; Brandt, Steven R.; Miller, Mark A.; Gesing, Sandra; Jones, Nick D.; Weber, Nic; Marru, Suresh; Allen, Gabrielle; Penzenstadler, Birgit; Venters, Colin C.; Davis, Ethan; Hwang, Lorraine; Todorov, Ilian; Patra, Abani; de Val-Borro, Miguel

2016-02-01

This report records and discusses the Third Workshop on Sustainable Software for Science: Practice and Experiences (WSSSPE3). The report includes a description of the keynote presentation of the workshop, which served as an overview of sustainable scientific software. It also summarizes a set of lightning talks in which speakers highlighted to-the-point lessons and challenges pertaining to sustaining scientific software. The final and main contribution of the report is a summary of the discussions, future steps, and future organization for a set of self-organized working groups on topics including developing pathways to funding scientific software; constructing useful common metrics for crediting software stakeholders; identifying principles for sustainable software engineering design; reaching out to research software organizations around the world; and building communities for software sustainability. For each group, we include a point of contact and a landing page that can be used by those who want to join that group's future activities. The main challenge left by the workshop is to see if the groups will execute these activities that they have scheduled, and how the WSSSPE community can encourage this to happen.

Adoption of Mobile Devices in Teaching: Changes in Teacher Beliefs, Attitudes and Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiu, Thomas K. F.; Churchill, Daniel

2016-01-01

Beliefs, attitudes and anxiety levels of schoolteachers are important factors influencing the acceptance, adoption and integration of mobile devices in teaching. To understand how to sustain device use, we need to understand what influences teachers and how such factors can change. We adopted a quasi-experimental design using pre- and…

Implementing for Sustainability: Promoting Use of a Measurement Feedback System for Innovation and Quality Improvement.

PubMed

Douglas, Susan; Button, Suzanne; Casey, Susan E

2016-05-01

Measurement feedback systems (MFSs) are increasingly recognized as evidence-based treatments for improving mental health outcomes, in addition to being a useful administrative tool for service planning and reporting. Promising research findings have driven practice administrators and policymakers to emphasize the incorporation of outcomes monitoring into electronic health systems. To promote MFS integrity and protect against potentially negative outcomes, it is vital that adoption and implementation be guided by scientifically rigorous yet practical principles. In this point of view, the authors discuss and provide examples of three user-centered and theory-based principles: emphasizing integration with clinical values and workflow, promoting administrative leadership with the 'golden thread' of data-informed decision-making, and facilitating sustainability by encouraging innovation. In our experience, enacting these principles serves to promote sustainable implementation of MFSs in the community while also allowing innovation to occur, which can inform improvements to guide future MFS research.

Sustainable transportation practices in Europe

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-11-01

In the United States, the transportation community has shown an increasing interest in sustainable transportation and its linkages to land use and urban development patterns, economic growth, environmental impacts, and social equity. In addressing th...

Increased Adoption of Quality Improvement Interventions to Implement Evidence-Based Practices for Pressure Ulcer Prevention in U.S. Academic Medical Centers.

PubMed

Padula, William V; Mishra, Manish K; Makic, Mary Beth F; Wald, Heidi L; Campbell, Jonathan D; Nair, Kavita V; Valuck, Robert J

2015-12-01

In 2008, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services enacted a nonpayment policy for stage III and IV hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs), which incentivized hospitals to improve prevention efforts. In response, hospitals looked for ways to support implementation of evidence-based practices for HAPU prevention, such as adoption of quality improvement (QI) interventions. The objective of this study was to quantify adoption patterns of QI interventions for supporting evidence-based practices for HAPU prevention. This study surveyed wound care specialists working at hospitals within the University HealthSystem Consortium. A questionnaire was used to retrospectively describe QI adoption patterns according to 25 HAPU-specific QI interventions into four domains: leadership, staff, information technology (IT), and performance and improvement. Respondents indicated QI interventions implemented between 2007 and 2012 to the nearest quarter and year. Descriptive statistics defined patterns of QI adoption. A t-test and statistical process control chart established statistically significant increase in adoption following nonpayment policy enactment in October 2008. Increase are described in terms of scope (number of QI domains employed) and scale (number of QI interventions within domains). Fifty-three of the 55 hospitals surveyed reported implementing QI interventions for HAPU prevention. Leadership interventions were most frequent, increasing in scope from 40% to 63% between 2008 and 2012; "annual programs to promote pressure ulcer prevention" showed the greatest increase in scale. Staff interventions increased in scope from 32% to 53%; "frequent consult driven huddles" showed the greatest increase in scale. IT interventions increased in scope from 31% to 55%. Performance and improvement interventions increased in scope from 18% to 40%, with "new skin care products . . ." increasing the most. Academic medical centers increased adoption of QI interventions

Examining the Sustainability of Pre-Service Teachers' Visions of Literacy Instruction in Their Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scales, Roya

2013-01-01

This is a study of teachers' visions. Five participants were followed through their pre-service years in the teacher education program and into their first year of teaching to see if their vision was sustained and whether it appeared in their practice. This paper describes the coding process for visions and discusses changes that occurred in the…

Sustainable Agriculture: Cover Cropping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webster, Megan

2018-01-01

Sustainable agriculture practices are increasingly being used by farmers to maintain soil quality, increase biodiversity, and promote production of food that is environmentally safe. There are several types of sustainable agriculture practices such as organic farming, crop rotation, and aquaculture. This lesson plan focuses on the sustainable…

A framework for guiding sustainability assessment and on-farm strategic decision making

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coteur, Ine, E-mail: ine.coteur@ilvo.vlaanderen.be; Marchand, Fleur; University of Antwerp, Ecosystem Management Research Group and IMDO, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk

Responding to future challenges and societal needs, various actions are taken in agriculture to evolve towards more sustainable farming practices. These actions imply strategic choices and suppose adequate sustainability assessments to identify, measure, evaluate and communicate sustainable development. However, literature is scarce on the link between strategic decision making and sustainability assessment. As questions emerge on how, what and when to measure, the objective of this paper is to construct a framework for guiding sustainability assessment and on-farm strategic decision making. Qualitative research on own experiences from the past and a recent project revealed four categories of actual needs farmers,more » advisors and experts have regarding sustainability assessment: context, flexibility, focus on farm and farmer and communication. These stakeholders' needs are then incorporated into a two-dimensional framework that marries the intrinsic complexity of sustainability assessment tools and the time frame of strategic decision making. The framework allows a farm-specific and flexible approach leading to harmonized actions towards sustainable farming. As this framework is mainly a procedural instrument to guide the use of sustainability assessment tools within strategic decision making, it fits to incorporate, even guide, future research on sustainability assessment tools themselves and on their adoption on farms. - Highlights: • How to link sustainability assessment and on-farm strategic decision making is unclear. • Two-dimensional framework incorporating stakeholders' needs regarding sustainability assessment • Linking complexity of sustainability assessment tools and the time frame of strategic decision making • Farm-specific and flexible approach to harmonize action towards sustainable farming.« less

Developing a Binational Geography Curriculum in Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oberle, Alex; Araya, Fabian; Cortés, Ximena; Ullestad, Mollie

2015-01-01

In a world with an ever-increasing population, diminishing natural resources, and greater levels of consumption, sustainability has emerged as a critical concept and it encompasses everything from international policy to lifestyle changes to "green" technologies. While various aspects of sustainability have been adopted by schools and…

Enhancing Sustainability Curricula through Faculty Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Natkin, L. W.; Kolbe, Tammy

2016-01-01